Starbucks sells more than coffee and scones; it sells lots and lots of CDs. According to At Starbucks, a Blend of Coffee And Music Creates a Potent Mix, one challenge is choosing the right music for their increasingly diverse customer base:
Five years ago, about 3% of Starbucks customers were between the ages of 18 and 24, 16% were people of color, 78% had college degrees, and overall they had an average annual income of $81,000. Today, however, about 13% of the company’s customers are between 18 and 24, 37% are people of color, 56% are college graduates, and they earn on average $55,000 a year.