Starbucks

With 400 million cups of coffee consumed every day, America’s obsession with the beverage is not a secret, but a popular statistic. In total, Americans consume over 146 billion cups of coffee every year, which is approximately 20 cups for every individual in the world. To be a star player in a market that large is a mammoth task, but with the frequent appearance that a certain green logo makes a white cup, one would say that Starbucks does not have to worry about popularity.

Starbucks started as a small coffee roasting point in Seattle, selling only beans at first. In 1982, however, the arrival of Howard Schultz and his unique vision to serve specialty coffee changed the face of the business forever. Howard’s idea to sell coffee as a drink was initially shot down by the company authorities, which prompted him to resign from his position of Director of Retail Operations and open his own coffee shop in the name of II Gionarle. The authorities later sold Starbucks to Schultz in 1987, and thus began the story of the two-tailed siren, who has aptly been wooing coffee addicts into its shelters since then.

With a uniquely blended idea of bringing coffee right to the customers while upholding quality, Starbucks expanded quickly and established its stronghold in the market. Their popularity was further aided when they introduced the concept of customized coffee, thus allowing their clientele to choose the flavors they wanted to drink. Their clever marketing strategy also placed them inside numerous bookstores all across the world, thus giving people the pleasure to enjoy their drink while reading in a comfortable environment.

Since their inception, Starbucks has introduced many innovative flavors that have become a favorite with the people, such as Frappuccino blend, organic coffee, and even low calorie and sugar-free versions of their drinks. The company has, however, been criticized for taking over small businesses and eliminating competition, a practice considered too hostile for a soft business such as coffee franchises.

Today, Starbucks fuels people’s coffee cravings with over 20,000 stores in 65 countries all over the world, 11,000 of which are situated in United States alone. Starbucks is also the sole controller of 36% of the world’s coffee market. Even though the company has never released a formal annual estimate, experts guess that it sells over 4 billion cups of coffee every year. With quality, consistency, and continued dedication towards its customers, Starbucks surely lives up to its reputation of a prized drink in its own right.