Why do people like to buy coffee rather than make it at home?

The Majority of Coffee Drinkers Prefer Coffee Shops to Home

The majority of people believe that morning is not complete without a cup of coffee. For coffee lovers, it has been an irresistible everyday routine that is seductive and addictive, and they take pride in their ability to distinguish between pleasing and appalling coffee. When a coffee lover discovers his or her favorite coffee mix, it is extremely difficult to persuade the person to stop drinking coffee. For several years, the term “appealing coffee” was synonymous with “expensive coffee.” Many coffee drinkers believe that in order to enjoy a good cup of coffee, you must be willing to spend a significant amount of money. At the beginning of introducing coffee drinks to the market, wallets had to be emptied deeply, change gathered, and die-hard coffee consumers continued to walk into coffee shops ready and willing to part with as much as $4 for a cup of coffee. This essay seeks to internalize why many people today prefer to buy coffee from coffee shops instead of preparing their coffee at home which is a bit cheaper than ready-made coffee.

The Influence of Atmosphere on Coffee Drinking

Most coffee lovers are always looking for the best blend of coffee in a cozy and ambiance atmosphere (Brizek, pg 1). According to Brizek, such an atmosphere initially gave consumers the feeling of a higher status like belonging to an upscale club which not every person can afford to be a member. This was before the economic recession hit, and the economy started to spiral downwards with prices rising as a response to the economic hard times. The initial $4 that consumers were paying for a cup of coffee at Starbucks no longer meant luxury lifestyle but rather a basic lifestyle for a common person. Competition in the coffee retailing became stiff on the side of Starbucks as other businesses such as McDonald’s forced their way into the industry with cheaper fast first foods. Starbucks could not stand the competition by raising their prices because of the high inflation. They had to remain calm and strategize on other aspects to survive the competition without raising their prices.

Starbucks’ Mission and Customer Loyalty

Starbucks’s mission of inspiring and nurturing human spirit seems to have had a compelling impact on the behaviors of coffee drinkers who cannot do without a cup in a day. The price for “good” coffee had to remain the same for Starbucks to stay in the industry. As time passed by, the price of $5 for a cup of coffee has become a small expenditure for many Americans as they can easily afford the coffee without much struggle or complaining. Although the price is still higher than the cost of preparing a cup of coffee at home, it has become a tradition and an incredible cause of social meetings. Today, people prefer to meet in coffee shops for a cup of coffee to discuss various social issues affecting their life. It is a way of breaking the boredom of meeting at home for social conversations. Starbucks’s mission has been a guidance for the company in creating principles which they have followed so keenly and precisely by creating greater value for their customers. They are focused on creating quality coffee from the finest coffee beans to embrace diversity among their employees as well as build a strong human connection with their customers. It is this strong human connection that Starbucks has struggled to build that keeps their customers coming back for more coffee instead of making their coffee at home.

The Convenience of Buying Coffee On-the-Go

Morning commuters fall into two categories, that is, caffeinated and the un-caffeinated. The un-caffeinated category comprises commuters who want to consume coffee, but they cannot do so because they have not yet taken their morning java. On the other hand, the caffeinated category comprises the coffee lovers who are usually engaged in a lot of daily activities, and they are fond of getting involved in things such as checking their emails, reading newspapers, or reading other materials for pleasure. This second category of commuters is in most cases armed with ventis or travel mugs to carry coffee from coffee vendors. They are normally individuals who rarely have the time to prepare themselves a cup of coffee at their homes. The worry of trying to beat traffic jams and avoiding wastage of time on taking coffee at home when you can take it at your workplace has been the driving factor that encourages people to take their coffee. Carrying coffee in coffee mugs to the workplace is sometimes a horrible and risky idea because of the high possibility of spilling the coffee in your car, especially when you are driving yourself. It becomes more convenient to buy coffee at a coffee shop near your workplace instead of carrying it to your workplace.

The Allure of Coffee Shops and Social Meetings

The fact that coffeehouses and vendors are spread all over, and they can easily be accessed at any time makes it easy for people to buy and drink coffee at any time they please instead of waiting to go and make their coffee at home (Dada, 2). It has become a habit among many people to take coffee at whatever time they need the coffee. Today, coffee is not merely meant as a breakfast drink that one takes for satisfaction but a social drink. It is common for people to take coffee during their social meetings, especially during the daytime when people are discouraged from taking alcoholic drinks. Workmates and people with business agendas to discuss prefer to meet in a coffeehouse to have a cup of coffee during their discussions to keep the conversation as sober as possible. It has become a culture for people to get to know one another from coffeehouses instead of risking taking a stranger to your home.

Creating an Appealing Environment in Coffeehouses

The conditions provided in most coffeehouses and shops are more attractive that many people prefer to take coffee in such places than prepare their coffee at home. For example, many of the Starbucks shops are tailored to offer convenience to customers. Shultz’s envisions for the company (as cited by Brizek, 5, from Halpern, 2008) was to make the coffeehouse a meeting place after work. It is described as one of the convenient places with elegance and homey feelings that make customers relax and stay for a while. Although the prices are high at Starbucks than any other coffee shop or in comparison with the cost of preparing coffee at home, many customers choose the place than the alternatives available to them. The secret behind this trick is how Starbucks have used quality and specialty coffee to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Many customers would prefer to have their coffee at Starbucks and other places such as McDonald’s where they can experience a communal feeling. Many people prefer to stay in places with other people as opposed to being introverts. Quality customer services and other extra amenities such as Wi-Fi in coffeehouses keep customers in the coffee shops for comparatively longer hours.

The Perception of Homemade Coffee

Many people do not like the taste of homemade coffee as it is deemed not to have been prepared by the experts (Grierson, 3). It is common for people to comment that coffee bought at shops has a more appealing taste than what they can prepare at home. Apart from the idea of avoiding time wastage, it is has become fashionable among many Americans to walk around with coffee mugs on the streets and workplaces. Although some people prefer taking their breakfast drinks on their way to work, some intentionally skip preparing their coffee because they feel they cannot make as sweet coffee as what they buy from a coffeehouse. The trend of buying coffee from a coffeehouse is so common among youths who like to associate themselves with trending lifestyles.

From Meeting Places to Personal Spaces

The idea of people preferring to buy readymade coffee rather preparing it at home has become a selling point which businesses have capitalized on to expand their premises. Coffee houses are moving away from the normal idea of being social places for meetings to places where people can conduct their personal activities. Unlike in the past when people have been meeting in coffee houses to have a conversation, today people go to a coffee house to carry out personal businesses with their laptops, tablets, and phones among other devices.

Works Cited

Brizek, Michael G. “Coffee Wars: The Big Three: Starbucks, Mcdonald’S And Dunkin’ Donuts.” Journal of Case Research in Business and Economics Coffee (2017): 1-10. Print.

Dada, Gerardo A. “Buyer Psychology And Customer Value: Why Do People Buy Starbucks Coffee?”. N.p., 2014. Web. 24 Feb. 2017.

D’Costa, Krystal. “The Culture Of Coffee Drinkers.” Scientific American Blog Network. N.p., 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2017.

Grierson, James. “The History Of Coffee.” MrBreakfast.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.