Just over half (52%) of all Irish adults are drinking coffee once a day, with almost 4 in 10 (36%) adults drinking several cups per day. Recent research on behalf of Retail Intelligence by Empathy Research, amongst a nationally representative sample of 1,001 adults aged 18+, sought to understand if consumption of coffee is showing any signs of slowing down, or is the category poised to grow even further?
Amongst all who drink coffee, almost a quarter (23%) claim they are drinking more coffee now than they were this time last year. However, there has also been a sizeable drop-off in consumption, with 1 in 7 (14%) who drink coffee, claiming they are consuming less over the same time period. Interestingly, those in the youngest age group, 18-24 year-olds, are more likely to have changed behaviour in relation to coffee consumption over the past year, with high levels claiming to have both increased (52%) and decreased (20%) the amount of coffee they are consuming.
Of those who are drinking more coffee than they were this time last year, almost 7 in 10 (68%) claim they have not substituted coffee for another drink and that they are just consuming more coffee than they were previously. However, almost a third (32%) of those who are drinking more coffee year-on-year, claim to have substituted coffee for another drink, with tea and fizzy drinks most likely to have been replaced for coffee.
Key triggers for this drop-off in coffee consumption are primarily down to coffee drinkers’ desire to be healthier (47%), with almost three in 10 (28%) claiming they were drinking too much coffee at the time and needed to cut back generally.
Instant coffee is the most consumed type of coffee amongst the Irish adult population but consumption of coffee from coffee pod machines and barista coffee are on the rise also. Convenience is key for this increase in coffee pod consumption, with increased access to coffee shops and the taste of the coffee, key drivers of growth for barista coffee.
For additional information and further analysis relating to the different types of coffee being consumed and the motivations for choice of specific coffee types, contact Robbie Clarke at Empathy Research.
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