By: Emily Boes | April 17, 2024

Total coffee servings experienced a 5% year-over-year growth globally.

Consumers globally are increasing their coffee consumption. Total coffee servings experienced a 5% year-over-year growth globally, outpacing the 3% recorded in the United States, based on Circana’s CREST Commercial Foodservice data.

Circana’s extensive research combines global data with local depth, providing nuanced insights for each country, spanning restaurant chains and independent segments.

This growth trend was observed in 11 of the 12 countries tracked, with China emerging as the frontrunner, experiencing the highest coffee consumption growth rate.

“Coffee is a unique category where trends and competition intertwine on both global and local scales,” said Tim Fires, president of global foodservice at Circana. “Cold coffee emerges as a standout trend, experiencing substantial growth across all 12 countries we monitor. However, the competitive landscape, encompassing both chain and independent establishments, exhibits unique characteristics in each country. Understanding both the overarching global trends and the intricacy of the local marketplace is critical for success in this category.”

A few key findings include:

  • Coffee servings clocked in at over $36 billion. South Korea stands out as the only country that did not experience year-over-year growth in coffee servings.
  • While hot coffee remains the dominant choice globally, cold coffee has gained momentum, indicating a long-term growth trend. China led cold coffee consumption growth from 2019 to 2023, boasting a 20% compound annual growth rate, with cold servings constituting 33% of total coffee consumption.
  • Coffee outpaced both tea (+4%) and carbonated soft drinks (+3%) in terms of year-over-year servings growth, emphasizing its position as one of the fastest-growing beverage categories globally.

C-store chains can take advantage of growing coffee trends as they look to revamp their hot beverage stations. For example, as the summer months approach, enticing customers with upgraded cold coffee selections could pay off.

As one of the staples of the c-store industry, coffee should always be a category that c-stores frequently navigate and stay on top of.

Source: CStore Decisions