ARTICLE COFFEE

For all distributors who vend coffee already, bravo!  Everyone else—you might be missing a great opportunity!

Coffee drinking is at an all-time high, according to the 2000 National Coffee Drinking Trends. They reported that 79% of the adult population drinks coffee, working out to about 161 million coffee drinkers—with a retail value of over $18.5 billion!

It was split down the middle, with 54% considered daily drinkers. The study reported that the 18–24 year old segment increased the most, and they were most likely to drink coffee when away from home. This is a huge shift; traditionally, coffee consumption increased with age.

Now, 39% of coffee is consumed away from home, and the study claims that improved coffee and coffee-making methods are responsible. Consumers are more aware of specialty coffees, more demanding in the quality of coffee and water—and they’re willing to pay for it. The study reported that the “gourmet coffee” sector accounted for 53% of all drinkers, an increase of 35% over the last three years.

The Canadian 2000 study, due soon, is expected to show an increase, as well. The 1999 Canadian study reported 30% consumption outside the home, with 14% in the workplace. According to the Coffee Association of Canada, those figures may change dramatically due to better coffee and coffee awareness.

Some researchers think that coffee figures may in fact be significantly higher, due to faulty consumer memory, and also due to unreported refills and different cup sizes, which can drastically alter the data.

All of this means that there’s a tremendous growth in coffee sales—and each distributor should consider adding coffee to their refreshment service!