EXPLORING THE MILK TEA CULTURE: STUDENT PREFERENCES AND EXPERIENCES WITH MILK TEA SHOPS PROXIMITY

Abstract

This study aims to examine the perceptions of ABM (Accountancy, Business, and Management) students toward milk tea, a popular and rapidly growing beverage trend. Milk tea, which combines milk and tea, has gained immense popularity across various cultures. The research explores key factors influencing milk tea shops, including location, promotion, peer influence, quality, price, and menu offerings. Younger generations have particularly embraced this new trend, with many consumers becoming loyal to the product. Entrepreneurs view the growing demand for milk tea as a valuable opportunity to generate revenue by creating unique and innovative offerings. Similar to coffee shops, milk tea establishments also serve as social spaces where individuals can gather and enjoy the beverage with friends. This study utilizes a descriptive quantitative research design, targeting fifty teenagers selected through purposive sampling. The primary data collection instruments are semi-structured interviews and survey questionnaires, which are used to gather relevant insights and information from the participants. The results reveal key insights, including the ABM students' evaluation of businesses based on quality (2.54, indicating the use of quality ingredients in products), price (2.82, showing that prices align with the firm's objectives), and the menu (2.22, suggesting that businesses offer specialty flavors). Based on these findings, recommendations emphasize enhancing product quality, pricing strategies, and menu variety to better align with customer expectations and improve business outcomes. This study highlights the challenges that ABM students encounter when using social media to promote online businesses. Specifically, it addresses issues related to budgeting, attracting buyers, and managing product reviews. The findings provide valuable insights into how these challenges can be addressed to improve the effectiveness of social media strategies and enhance customer experiences in promoting online businesses.