Introduction
The consumer is the main actor in the market. Therefore the purchasing behavior of the consumer should be given special attention. The term of “consumer behavior” can be defined as behavior exhibited by buyers in the search, selection, purchase, use, evaluation and utilization of products, services and ideas that can satisfy the customers’ needs. Consumer behavior is a complex and multifaceted process and to study it, it is necessary to use an interdisciplinary approach, namely techniques and methods used in psychology and sociology.
Cultural level factors have the greatest impact on consumer behavior. Growing up in the community, the child learns basic values, models of perception, needs and behavior patterns – in the family and various social institutions. Consumers belonging to different subcultures, form important segments of the market, and based on them, marketers are developing products and marketing programs.
Starbucks and Different Global Cultures
Everything that is done in Starbucks aims to ensure that, along with the acquisition of quality beverage or food product, the client has received a positive experience, which may raise his spirits. Each store is a special, depending on the culture of the city, in which it is located. The choice of furniture and equipment, names of drinks, graphic design – everything is thought out in advance. Starbucks’ approach to international expansion is to concentrate, first, on choosing a partner, and only then the country. When choosing a partner, the focus is made on the fact that it shares the values, culture and goals of the company, and is able to adjust with the cultural characteristics of the country and is interested in store’s development.
For example, a company partially adapted its product line in Japan – all the drinks have short size, whereas in the US, many do not even know that it exists (since it is no special demand, it is present in the menu, but the mass is not moving) and the company has added a variety of sandwiches with local taste preferences and reduced the size of the portions, as the Japanese do not eat a lot. In addition, customers can replace regular milk to soy. In subsequent years, Starbucks pay more attention to promoting and adapting their products to positively influence the development of business in the country. The Japanese line of frappuccino was supplemented with the drink of green tea and cream flavored. In the Middle East coffee shops are divided into areas for men and families.
Starbucks in NYC, for example, is very different from a Starbucks in Dubai. Arabs manage to smoke hookah there, and there is no inimitable atmosphere as in New York, where almost everyone is sitting at the table with laptop and busy with something. In Dubai, it looks like lounge café. In America, Starbucks vary by city. So, for example, in the city famous for its hotels and beaches, Virginia Beach, Starbucks is very funny, where there are crowds of people going to the beach, the whole floor is in the sand and there is incredible amount of desserts. It is a pleasant summer relaxation. However, this is only in summer.
Classic coffee-based drinks will always be sold in foreign markets without any changes, but in order to attract more visitors the menu additionally has from 2 to 7 drinks, adapted to each market. Starbucks experiments with their integration to its domestic market, for example, frappuccino with taste of green tea, can be tried in the United States. Frappuccino of strawberries and cream had a huge success in the UK market, after which the company added this drink in the product line in all states, where it functions.
Conclusion
Today Starbucks is the world’s largest coffee chain. It is well-known and respected for comfort, excellence of coffee and a particular impression that is seen in all stores of the chain everywhere in the world. Starbucks has a powerful tool that helps in creating a brand: people in cafes. Thanks to its loyal customers the company is inspired for further activity and great achievements.
References
Betros, Ch. (2011). Coffee break. Retrieved from http://www.japantoday.com/category/executive-impact/view/coffee-break-2
Durmaz, Ya., Celik M. and Oruc, R. (2011). The Impact of Cultural Factors on the Consumer Buying Behaviors Examined through An Impirical Study, International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2(5), 109-114. Retrieved from file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Admin/%D0%9C%D0%BE%D0%B8%20%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%BA%D1%83%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%8B/Downloads/0912f50fd815ee9c23000000.pdf
Starbucks (2014). Retrieved from http://www.starbucks.com/
Yanofsky, D. (2014). A cartographic guide to Starbucks’ global domination. Retrieved from http://qz.com/208457/a-cartographic-guide-to-starbucks-global-domination/
