Seattle's Best Coffee

Looking in from the street outside, Seattle’s Best Coffee has the look of a 50s-style diner. Red lights in the window glow, shine on the red tiled counter, red bar stools and posters proudly displaying Christmas themed drinks: a Peppermint Mocha, a Sugar-and-Spice Latte and Peppermint Hot Chocolate.

Inundated with the scent of freshly ground coffee, cinnamon and peppermint before even stepping foot in the shop, Seattle’s Best Coffee tempts potential customers inside with these comforting fragrances. The low-lit shop is warm and cozy, friendly baristas greet customers and take their orders. A chalkboard presents customers with an opportunity to answer a trivia question to receive a 10 percent discount.

Hand-drawn menus are displayed on the back wall of the shop. Perfectly arranged shelves offer customers a selection of coffee by the pound, mugs, bowls and espresso machines. Next to the register containers of candies entice customers at the point of purchase to have just a taste.

Seattle’s Best Coffee does whatever they can to attract people into their store by displaying their new Christmas offerings, whether it be their drinks or other merchandise. They persuade their customers that Christmas drinks are worth buying as the baristas ask “Would you like to try a Peppermint Mocha today?” as people approach the counter.

Although it is only the beginning of November, Seattle’s Best, along with every other retail site, is dead-set on getting people into the Christmas spirit as soon as they possibly can. By breaking out the coffee filled drinks we associate with the Christmas season, we are reminded that this signifies the start of the Christmas shopping season madness. We are persuaded to go forth and spend, spend as much money as you possibly can, as fast as you can and as soon as you can. In a time of economic uncertainty, even our coffee is telling us that we need to spend more money to get us out of this recession.

By only offering certain drinks at certain times of the year, our past experiences consuming these drinks remind us that it’s time to start shopping. By persuading us to purchase their drinks, Seattle’s Best Coffee is persuading us to continue to consume and spend money on our other Christmas shopping endeavors. They cater to the consumer in us all, by providing us with an opportunity to be reminded of Christmases past. They take us back to memories of drinking Peppermint Mochas last year and provide a nostalgic escape during what is the most chaotic time of the consumer’s year.