General · 29 August 2026
Younger people now pick cold, custom drinks over hot coffee in UK and US
Unsplash / Sagar Chaudhray
Three out of every four drinks Starbucks sells are now cold, showing a shift away from traditional hot coffee. Gen Z consumers, born between 1997 and 2012, prefer customisable cold drinks, viewing them as self-expression. The trend extends beyond the US; throughout the year, UK consumers aged under 25 purchase more cold beverages than hot ones when out.
Reported by BBC · How we write briefs