What approach and avoidance factors drive Gen-Z consumers to buy bubble tea? An exploratory study

Purpose Bubble tea has become a popular beverage among the Gen-Z population in recent years, not only in Asia where this beverage originated, but also worldwide. This research aims to understand the motivational factors of Gen-Z consumers in Indonesia in purchasing bubble tea products. Design/methodology/approach This research adopts a qualitative methodology by interviewing 22 Gen-Z consumers living in Indonesia. A thematic-analysis approach and NVivo software are applied for the data analysis. Findings Eight factors, i.e. taste, texture, packaging, store, price, health, trend and brand, play important roles in explaining how the emotional dimensions (pleasure, arousal and dominance) created by the environmental stimuli of bubble tea were approached or avoided within the purchasing behaviors of Gen-Z consumers. This study also identified affiliation behaviors as the result of interactions between the three dimensions. Research limitations/implications As a qualitative study, this research used a particular and limited context to gain insights. Hence, a broader scale of research using a quantitative approach is recommended to validate the factors influencing purchasing behavior among the Gen-Z population. Practical implications This study can help practitioners to gain a better understanding of Gen-Z consumers’ behaviors on beverage products and to formulate effective marketing strategies. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, by adopting a qualitative approach, this study is among the first to explore more deeply the emotional dimensions that drive Gen-Z’s decisions regarding whether to purchase a bubble tea product or not.