Sales of espresso machines, French presses, and cold brew makers grew by double-digits in the US, revealed the NPD Group. Before the pandemic, the research firm said US consumers sourced about 73% of coffee servings from home and 27% from food service. During the pandemic, the split between at-home and away-from-home coffee consumption became 81% from home and 19% from food service. With fewer opportunities to visit their favourite coffee shop, consumers re-created the gourmet coffee experience in their homes.
Thus, sales of coffee preparation machines grew by double-digits in the year ending May 2021 compared to the same period a year ago, NPD said. Coffee accessories, like temperature-controlled mugs and milk frother wands, also experienced double-digit growth. Sales of milk frothers, for example, increased by 120% this May compared to a year ago, reports showed.
“Consumers’ palates are more sophisticated now when it comes to coffee. They’ve invested their time and money in bringing a gourmet coffee experience into their homes,” said Joe Derochowski, Home industry advisor at The NPD Group. “Even when they’re back to work or school, they’ll continue to get a return on their investment. Manufacturers can benefit by offering great taste, which is always key, the ability to adjust the taste, and versatility in enabling consumers to get that coffee house experience at home.”
But while more coffee drinks are brewing on the home front, lockdowns and restaurant restrictions during the pandemic impacted coffee servings ordered at restaurants and foodservice outlets. In the year ending May 2021, coffee servings ordered at commercial foodservice declined by -7% from a year ago, and for a pre-pandemic view, it decreased by -11% from two years ago, said NPD. Consumers also cut down on visits to their favourite coffee house and gourmet coffee chain. Visits to these outlets declined by -6% in the period compared to a year ago, and -8% from two years ago. But even as coffee sales decline, research showed that coffee shops, independent and chains, are still among the strongest performing restaurant channels over the long term. As the country emerges from the pandemic, NPD is confident that customer visits will also improve. (Image from Unsplash)
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