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According to Technomic’s 2016 Beverage Consumer Trend Report, powered by Ignite, consumers purchase an average of 3.6 beverages every week and 65% say that they have consumed regular hot coffee in the past month. But while regular hot coffee might be the most commonly purchased coffee drink, different groups of consumers want different things for their coffee – for instance, women want nutritional information and enjoy seasonal flavors, younger consumers, including millennials, want customization options for their beverages, and tend to go for cold/iced and blended coffee more, while older consumers on the way to work ask for extra shots of espresso.
Women want seasonal flavors and nutritional transparency
Freshness is key for female consumers. In the Technomic report, 74% of women say they are more likely to purchase beverages that are fresh-brewed, so it’s important for retailers to not only offer freshly brewed coffee, but also to use signage that indicates that freshness.
Beyond freshness, women place more importance on knowing the nutritional content of the beverages they order than men do: 34% of women say it’s important to them, compared to just 25% of men. To appeal to women, it can be helpful to post nutritional information about the various offerings, particularly for syrups and creamers.
Women also say in the report that the seasons influence their beverage preferences: 40% of women ages 18-24 say so, as well as 40% of women ages 25-34 and 42% of women ages 35-44. Seasonal beverage offerings, such as pumpkin spice coffee in the fall or peppermint mocha flavors in the winter, can help boost coffee purchases among women.
Millennials and Gen Zers want cold drinks, lower prices and customization
Younger consumers purchase cold/iced or blended coffee from scratch more than older consumers, according to the Technomic Beverage report. To appeal to Gen Z and millennials, retailers can offer items such as cold brew or nitro coffee. Customization and lower prices are more important to Gen Zers than to other generations, according to Technomic’s 2016 Generational Consumer Trend Report, so it’s beneficial to offer customization options available for them.
Baby Boomers and Gen X favor hot coffee, fresh-brewed drinks
Generation X and Baby Boomers are more likely than younger generations to prefer regular hot coffee, according to the Technomic Generational report. Older consumers are also less likely to want flavor additions for their drinks — in Technomic’s 2016 Beverage Consumer Trend Report, only 17% of consumers over the age of 35 say that they’d ask for a flavor shot to be added to their beverage.
Freshness is also key for older generations — 83% of mature consumers say that they are more likely to purchase a beverage that is described as fresh brewed.
What’s popular and trending
Appealing to everyone who visits a c-store can be tricky, but there are a few things to consider adding to the coffee bar to boost consumer interest. According to the Technomic report, Americanos are on the rise at c-stores, with incidences growing 33%, followed by espresso and macchiato drinks, which each grew 25% in c-stores over the past year.
Finally, sustainability and “clean label” terms are on the rise. According to Technomic’s 2016 report, Future of Foodservice Sourcing, 55% of consumers say they think it’s important that the food and beverage options they buy are fair trade, while 50% say the same about organic items.
This post is sponsored by Keurig Green Mountain