"Going to Starbucks for coffee" is becoming a thing of the past... There was another drink that sold 3 million cups

[Financial News] Recently, people in their 20s who use Starbucks have been found to prefer tea beverages over coffee.
On the 13th, Starbucks Korea announced that purchases of tea beverages by customers in their 20s have increased by about 20% year-on-year as these drinks gain popularity. Given that overall tea beverage sales grew by 8% during the same period, the preference for tea among customers in their 20s was relatively high.
The tea beverage most frequently chosen by customers in their 20s was Grapefruit Honey Black Tea, which marks its 10th year on the menu. Over the past year alone, customers in their 20s drank about 3 million cups. In terms of total cumulative sales, Grapefruit Honey Black Tea also surpassed 100 million cups in 2024.
Yuzu Mint Tea, made with yuzu, ranked second. Boosted by the growing popularity of matcha, Jeju Matcha Latte and Matcha Glazed Tea Latte (a seasonal item that has ended) took third and fourth place, respectively.
Expecting demand for tea among younger customers to remain strong for the time being, Starbucks has made half of the seasonal beverages launched this month tea-based.
A Starbucks representative said, "As younger customers are enjoying not only coffee but also a variety of tea beverages, we are working to introduce a wide range of tea options," adding, "From steady sellers like Grapefruit Honey Black Tea to Jeju Matcha Latte, which is gaining popularity through custom recipes, we will continue striving to ensure that customers in their 20s can enjoy diverse experiences at Starbucks."
y27k@fnnews.com Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter