According to Starbucks, Blondes Have More Fun

Starbucks has decided to branch out from their typical, very dark roasted coffee to debut a lighter blonde roast in grocery stores and cafés as of January 10, 2012.

The reason behind this switcheroo? Starbucks must compete with other brands with mass appeal, like Dunkin' Donuts and McDonald's, who have seen exceptional sales with milder coffee roasts. Starbucks is hoping to bring in new customers who prefer light versus dark roasts when it comes to coffee.

According to Starbucks research, 40% of coffee drinkers in the US, roughly 54 million people, prefer light roasted coffee. The blonde roast by Starbucks is roasted for a shorter period of time compared to other Starbucks roasts, so that it has a lighter body and less acidity.

This light roast is a big change for Starbucks, who has built a reputation over several decades by cultivating dark roasts that some critics feel taste bitter or burnt. Starbucks believes that these new light roasts will increase their customer appeal and could pump up their sales by $1 billion per year.

However, it is difficult to measure the exact impact of the new introduction of the blonde roast since existing Starbucks customers could switch their roast preference in favor of the lighter roast.