The evolving coffee drinking habits
Global coffee drinking habits are rapidly changing. The corona pandemic had a huge impact on cafés, micro-roasters, restaurants, and other out-of-home outlets, which is still felt in 2023.
The fast trend toward online shopping for at-home consumption has been forcing retailers, roasters, and consumers to adapt to a new reality. Convenient forms of coffee, like coffee pods and capsules and instant coffee, have become popular among the masses to prepare good coffee in the comfort of home, in less time.
Overall, the coffee industry is continuously evolving. Coffee lovers and manufacturers find new ways to consume and sell this popular beverage all the time. Many new trends evolve every year, and it can be challenging to keep up with what’s popular.
What’s trending in the coffee drinking world?
Coffee drinking habits have also been influenced by many trends, which have become more global than local. The market is driven by multiple factors, a few being increasing demand for high quality and specialty coffee products, acceptance of single-serve coffee brew systems by the consumers, and constant innovation led by top players in the coffee market.
- Sustainability & Ethics
Sustainability will play a significant part in the coffee market as the world begins to move past the pandemic. Global consumers remain conscious about what they consume. People want to know where the coffee comes from and how ethically, environmentally and socially conscious the parties involved are.
- Premiumization
Premiumization is still occurring in coffee, especially on ‘speciality’ coffees with unique tastes due to where and how they are grown. This is all part of a new wave of consumers providing more respect to high-quality speciality roasts, hyper-specific beans, innovative brewing methods and origin information that combines with environmental, ethical and social credentials. More than ever – today the focus is on the experience of making a superior-quality coffee product at every point in the supply chain so the consumer can truly appreciate ‘the best’.
- Healthy Coffee Drinks
‘Healthy’ coffee drinks have become more common. These types of drinks are made from unadulterated organic coffee with healthy additives, including almond milk, oat milk, rice milk, turmeric, vitamin C, cocoa powder, ground cacao beans, matcha powder, or even collagen. These products claim to stimulate the immune system, support gut health, and/or boost metabolism.
- Ready-To-Drink Coffee
Ready-to-drink coffees have grown exponentially in the last few years. Both small local coffee shops and international conglomerates are now selling them. You can now find ready to drink cold brews, mochas, iced lattes, nitro cold brews, and more in nearly every grocery store.
- High-Quality Instant Coffee
A growing number of companies are taking the best coffee beans in the world and using new methods to make instant coffee that is rich in flavour.
- Cold coffee / Cold Brew and Nitro Coffee are hot trends
Many types of cold/ice coffee have grown in popularity in the past decade. Previously confined to summer months, all iced coffee types are growing in popularity all year-round. This is particularly true among those under 30s.
How can we help?
ADK Insights is well known for identifying how consumers all over the world change and adapt to new consumption habits. Our services provide our clients with better use of resources and more intelligent targeting, more impactful messaging content and tonality, and they help them leverage their competitive advantage.
To find out more about our dialogue with consumers worldwide and how we help our clients navigate these challenging times, please contact Rob, Dam or Nimrod at ADK Insights. Or follow us on our LinkedIn Page.