How Starbucks Attracts Holiday Shoppers

By Trey Thoelcke Published Dec 6, 7:30AM EST

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Got a coffee lover on your holiday gift list? Then Starbucks Corp. (NASDAQ: SBUX) has you covered.

For Cyber Week 2013, that is through December 6, Starbucks has a buy one get one free deal on its eGift cards. Holiday shoppers that pick up a $5 Starbucks eGift Card using a Visa card also receive a second $5 eGift Card free. In other words, two gifts for the price of one. Starbucks eGift cards can be used at any company-owned Starbucks location, at the Starbucks website and at Teavana stores, as well.

But wait, there’s more. Starbucks offers customers a way to “share joy” with its gift of the week. Through December 8, that means 25% off Starbucks Christmas Blend coffees, in stores and online. That includes 1 lb. whole bean coffee, K-Cup packs, Verismo and Starbucks VIA.

Then there is the Tweet-a-Coffee option. U.S. customers who sync their Starbucks accounts to their Twitter accounts can tweet to @tweetacoffee with the Twitter handle of a gift recipient, who with then receive a $5 eGift. The program was launched in October, and @tweetacoffee now has nearly 16,000 followers.

Looking for something extra special? For the second year in a row, Starbucks is rolling out its limited edition, $450 metal, laser-etched gift card for the holidays, which comes pre-loaded with $400 and includes such benefits as free refills on iced or brewed coffee or tea. The offer will be available only on the luxury goods website Gilt.com on Friday at noon EST. And you will have to act fast. Last year, the 5,000 designer cards sold out in about six minutes. This year, Starbucks is making only 1,000 of the handmade cards available.

Starbucks cards are said to be one of the most gifted items in America. Last December, one in 10 adults received a Starbucks gift card of some sort. And Starbucks keeps its holiday customers happy with lots of options to chose from.

Starbucks investors seem to be happy, as the share price is up more than 11% in the past 90 days. It closed at $79.72 on Thursday, in a 52-week range of $52.39 to $82.50. Shares were inactive in premarket trading Friday.

About the Author Trey Thoelcke →

Trey has been an editor and author at 24/7 Wall St. for more than a decade, where he has published thousands of articles analyzing corporate earnings, dividend stocks, short interest, insider buying, private equity, and market trends. His comprehensive coverage spans the full spectrum of financial markets, from blue-chip stalwarts to emerging growth companies.

Beyond 24/7 Wall St., Trey has created and edited financial content for Benzinga and AOL's BloggingStocks, contributing additional hundreds of articles to the investment community. He previously oversaw the 24/7 Climate Insights site, managing editorial operations and content strategy, and currently oversees and creates content for My Investing News.

Trey's editorial expertise extends across multiple publishing environments. He served as production editor at Dearborn Financial Publishing and development editor at Kaplan, where he helped shape financial education materials. Earlier in his career, he worked as a writer-producer at SVE. His freelance editing portfolio includes work for prestigious clients such as Sage Publications, Rand McNally, the Institute for Supply Management, the American Library Association, Eggplant Literary Productions, and Spiegel.

Outside of financial journalism, Trey writes fiction and has been an active member of the writing community for years, overseeing a long-running critique group and moderating workshop sessions at regional conventions. He lives with his family in an old house in the Midwest.