COVID-19 Drives Record At-Home Coffee Drinking
April 2 - 2021
Coffee Geography Magazine
COVID-19 drove record coffee consumption at home, with 85% of coffee drinkers
having at least one cup at home (up 8% since January 2020) and average daily
consumption steady at nearly 2 cups per capita announced by National Coffee Association of America.
More
Americans (nearly 60%) choose coffee each day than any other beverage,
including tap water, according to the Spring 2021 National Coffee Data Trends
(NCDT) survey conducted by Dig Research and released today by the
National Coffee Association (NCA).
While
COVID-19 restrictions and closures continue to crimp coffee preparation away
from home (workplace coffee preparation is down 55% since January 2020),
on-the-go options are flourishing - drive through and app-based ordering are
both up 30%.
The
Spring 2021 NCDT was for the first time conducted with the support of the
Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), allowing NCA to bring this exclusive market
research to more members of the coffee community than ever before at a critical
time in our industry's COVID-19 recovery.
NCA President and CEO William "Bill" Murray
"The
COVID-19 pandemic has kept many people at home for the better part of a year,
and the latest 'Atlas of American Coffee' shows they took their coffees with
them. In fact, we've seen Americans
embracing their new coffee routines, experimenting with new coffees, and even
trying to replicate their favorite beverages at home.
Now,
with light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, many Americans are also returning
to their favorite coffee businesses or plan to do so within the next
month."
More
than 40% of Americans bought types of coffee they had never tried before during
the pandemic, and nearly one third tried to replicate a favorite coffee shop
beverage at home. One-quarter of Americans purchased new coffee formats, and
nearly one-quarter purchased a new home coffee machine.
While
enjoying new home coffee routines, about 35% of Americans miss their favorite
coffee businesses and beverages. Nearly half of Americans (48%) are already
returning to coffee shops or plan to within the next month.
As
some Americans return to work, they are getting more comfortable using shared
coffee stations and returning to local coffee businesses - compared to
September 2020, 23% fewer have decreased use of shared coffee stations because
of the pandemic, and 17% more have returned to local coffee shops.
National Coffee Association
(NCA),
established in 1911, is the leading trade organization for the coffee industry
in the United States. The NCA is the only trade association that serves all
segments of the U.S. coffee industry, including traditional and specialty
companies. A majority of NCA membership, which accounts for over 90% of U.S.
coffee commerce, comprises small and mid-sized companies and includes growers,
roasters, retailers, importer/exporters, wholesaler/suppliers, and allied
industry businesses.