Starting the day with a cup of coffee is standard for most consumers but where does that coffee come from and how much does this daily habit really cost? Are you a home brewer, swear by your pod system or strictly purchase coffee outside of the home? You may dabble in a bit of all three but coffee drinking is habitual and many tend to have the same routine everyday, sometimes twice a day!
Contract Testing recently conducted an extensive survey on coffee habits of consumers, including where and how often they purchase coffee, what kind of coffee they make at home and how much their daily habit is costing them.
Here are some of the interesting findings and insights from this survey:
Purchasing coffee outside of the home on a daily basis is much more common amongst Canadian consumers than Americans. More than 43% of Canadians purchase coffee on a daily basis versus just 16% of Americans. For another 25% of Canadians it is a three-time a week habit. Americans are most likely to purchase coffee outside of the home just once a week with 25% selecting this as their habit.
In addition to purchasing coffee less often, American consumers also spend less on each cup. More than 16% spend $1 or less versus just 3% of Canadians spending $1 or less. More than 80% of Canadians spend $5 or less on their morning coffee while 60% of Americans spend $5 or less.
Both Americans and Canadians are most likely to purchase coffee from a coffee chain with 55% of Americans and 67% of Canadians doing so. Consumers are also likely to purchase coffee from a fast food restaurant (23% of Canadians / 12% of Americans), a gas station (1% of Canadians / 16% of Americans), an independent cafe (4% of Canadians / 8% of Americans).
For close to half of Canadians (47%) and Americans (41%) convenience is the main motivation for purchasing coffee outside of the home. This is followed by preferred taste (28% Canadians / 31% Americans) and habit (14% of Canadians / 11% of Americans).
When it comes to brewing coffee at home, 87% of Americans and 77% of Canadians own coffee makers with 43% of Americans and 35% of Canadians using them daily.
Single use / pod system machines are the most popular choice amongst Canadian consumers with 57% owning one versus 41% of Americans. Canadians are also more likely to own an espresso machine with 18% having one, compared to just 6% of Americans. American consumers prefer a traditional drip machine with 58% using one at home, while less than half of Canadians (41%) use one.
The coffee purchasing habits of consumers is strong and many are making multiple trips a week to their favourite chains or fast food restaurants. Despite the charm, independent cafes are not a main destination for the consumers surveyed. In addition, while the majority of consumers do own a coffee maker, many are still purchasing coffee outside of the home on a weekly basis. When it comes to comparing markets – Canadian consumers love their coffee and are happy to make this purchase a daily habit.
For questions about this research, or how you can leverage consumer taste buds in your business, contact Andrew Scholes at andrew.scholes@contracttesting.com.