Habit to Heritage: The Business of Turning Purchases into Rituals

Your morning coffee isn't just caffeine ─ it's a carefully orchestrated ritual that transforms a $3 purchase into part of a $100+ billion global industry. But what elevates everyday purchases into sacred routines that consumers defend, repeat, and happily pay premium prices for? 

Why Your Brain Can't Resist That Morning Coffee Ritual (And Brands Know It) 

Ever wondered why you feel upset when your favourite coffee shop changes their cup design? Or why you'll wait in line for 20 minutes for a limited-edition sneaker drop? Welcome to the fascinating world where psychology meets your wallet ─ and spoiler alert: your brain is way more predictable than you think. 

Your Brain on Shopping: The Dopamine Truth Bomb 

Here's something interesting: the best part of shopping isn't actually getting the thing you want. Juan Cabrera, CEO of Activa and speaker at Innovation Summit 2025 said: "The biggest spike of dopamine is when you are deciding, when you are anticipating what you're going to do ─ not when you buy, not when you receive, but when you are thinking of buying, when you are with your fantasy." 

Think about it ─ remember scrolling through Shopping Apps at midnight, cart loaded with items you "might need"? That rush you felt wasn't from buying; it was from the beautiful agony of almost buying. Brands have figured this out, which explains why 69% of consumers feel less loyal to retailers than before. (SAP Emarsys, 2025). 

The Color Psychology Mind Trick 

Before you even read a product description or check the price, your brain has already made a decision. Juan Cabrera 's research reveals: "85% of products are selected by color."  

Don't believe it? Think about why you'd never buy a luxury item in neon green packaging. Tiffany’s robin egg blue isn’t just a color ─ it’s part of the unboxing ritual that signals luxury and exclusivity before a customer even opens the box. Coca-Cola’s red and white have been repeated consistently for over a century, anchoring the brand in memory and tradition. 95% of customers say trusting a company increases loyalty (Queue-it, 2025), and our brains are wired to trust certain colors instantly. 

When Shopping Becomes Identity Shopping 

Here's where things get really interesting. Your generation (especially if you're Gen Z or younger) has completely rewritten the shopping playbook. Juan Cabrera's data shows: "70% and 73% respectively want companies aligned with their values." 

Translation? You're not just buying a jacket from Patagonia ─ you're buying environmental activism you can wear. According to Penfriend’ Gen Z Consumer Preferences and Market Trends, 86% of Gen Z actively choose brands supporting social causes. Apple doesn't sell phones; they sell status symbols. Nike doesn't sell shoes; they sell the dream of athletic achievement. 

The "Experience" Economy: Why Boring Shopping Is Dead 

Remember when shopping meant walking into a store, buying something, and leaving? Those days are prehistoric. "86% of people are willing to pay more for shopping with meaning, for shopping in an experience," Juan Cabrera explains. 

This is why Supreme creates street-level theater with every product drop, why Starbucks designed stores as "third places" between home and work, and why 70% of consumers actively recommend brands with engaging experiences (LoyaltyLion, 2025). You're not just buying coffee ─ you're joining a daily ritual performed by millions worldwide. 

The Trust Paradox (Or: Why Loyalty Is Weird Now) 

Here's the contradiction keeping marketers up at night: while 57% of consumers spend more on brands they trust (Zinrelo, 2025), recent research made by  MarTech Edge shows Gen Z has completely abandoned traditional brand loyalty. 

You trust your friends' Instagram reviews more than any corporate campaign. You'll switch brands if someone cooler recommends something else. Yet 83% still say trustworthiness is crucial for their favorite brands (Queue-it, 2025) ─ you just define trust differently than your parents did. 

The Bottom Line for Everyone 

Whether you're building a brand or just trying to understand why you bought those shoes at 2 AM, the psychology is surprisingly simple. Acording to Antavo’s Global Customer Loyalty Report 2025, modern loyalty programs focusing on personalization and gamification see huge engagement, because 64% of people will literally spend more money to get better rewards (Open Loyalty, 2025). 

But here's Juan Cabrera's golden rule that applies whether you're a marketer or just someone trying to understand their own shopping habits: "Customers don't buy what you do ─ they buy why you do it." 

That morning coffee ritual? You're not buying caffeine ─ you're buying the promise that today will be productive, social, and slightly luxurious.  

---

Sources: 

Antavo. (2025). Global Customer Loyalty Report 2025. 

LoyaltyLion. (2025). Customer Loyalty Statistics and Benchmarks for 2025.  

MarTech Edge. (2025). SOCi's 2025 Consumer Behavior Index Reveals Gen Z Has Shattered the Traditional Path to Purchase. 

OpenLoyalty. (2025). Loyalty Program Trends 2025.  

Penfriend AI. (2025). Gen Z Consumer Preferences: Understanding the Next Generation.  

Queue-it. (2025). Loyalty Program Statistics: Key Insights for 2025. 

SAP Emarsys. (2025). Customer Loyalty Statistics 2025: The Complete Guide. 

Zinrelo. (2025). Customer Loyalty Statistics: Trends and Insights for 2025. 

Innovation Summit 2025 - Juan Cabrera, CEO of Activa