Starbucks Spain cites iced coffee as main driver of long-term growth

Iced coffee sales have increased from 9% to 35% in the last three years in Spain | Photo credit: Angelica Reyes

Iced coffee currently accounts for more than a third of Starbucks sales in Spain, with two thirds of younger consumers in the country considering the product the best alternative to soft beverages. 
 

Disclosing the statistics at the launch of a new summer menu, Starbucks Spain Brand Manager Fernando Albarrán said iced coffee is the fastest growing category for the coffee chain in Europe. 

Albarrán said iced coffee sales have increased from 9% to 35% in the last three years in Spain, albeit slightly lower than the 37% currently reported across Starbucks’ wider European, Middle East and African region.  

More than half (56%) of Generation Z consumers have purchased iced coffee in the last month, Albarrán added. 

“Our iced coffee family is the primary driver of our long-term growth, allowing us to attract new customers, increase visit frequency and purchase value. At a European level, iced coffee is the fastest growing category,” he said.   

Although Starbucks’ iced beverage sales are rising across Europe, they remain far behind markets such as the US and South Korea where consumer demand for colder products is less dependent upon season. 

Iced coffee comprises 70% of total sales in the US. In September 2022 Starbucks announced plans to explore the use of technology to cut the time taken to prepare iced beverages and ensure cold brew coffee is less labour intensive and more consistent across its nearly 16,000 US outlets.  

Meanwhile, Starbucks Korea revealed in December 2022 that iced beverages accounted for 76% of beverage sales last year, including approximately 60% of beverages sold during winter months. 

Starbucks entered Spain in 2002 with a store in Madrid. Since 2018, Mexican franchisee Alsea has managed Starbucks’ outlets in Spain, where it currently has 150 sites. 

In April 2023, Alsea announced plans to open approximately 690 new licensed Starbucks stores by 2028, 43% of which will be in European markets.