However, coffee preferences appear to be changing and this is having an impact on coffee purchase trends.


Instant and Fresh Coffee Purchase


Source: Roy Morgan Single Source, July 2010 – June 2011, n = 18,135.

In the five years to June 2011, the proportion of Australians that purchased instant coffee in an average four week period declined from 47% to 43%, whilst the proportion that purchased fresh coffee increased from 24% to 26%.

Over the same period, the proportion of the population who went to a café for coffee or tea (in an average 3 month period) increased from 51% to 54%, with the average number of visits increasing from seven to eight.

In general coffee consumers are more likely to be aged 35+ when compared to the Australian population aged 14+. However, buyers of fresh coffee and those who have visited a café for coffee or tea are more likely to be city dwellers, be employed as professionals or managers and from a high socio-economic background. Conversely, instant coffee buyers are more likely to live in country areas, be aged 65+ and belong to the low FG socio-economic quintile.


Norman Morris, Industry Communications Director at Roy Morgan Research, says:

“The current state of the coffee market in Australia gives the sense that a growing number of consumers are becoming more discerning when it comes to their coffee and are shifting away from instant coffee in favour of fresh coffee or a barista made coffee from a café.

“Interestingly, Victoria narrowly lead the nation for cafe visits, with 58% of Victorians visiting a café for coffee or tea in an average 3 month period, followed by NSW (55%), WA (53%), Queensland (52%), Tasmania (51%) and South Australia (49%), supporting Victoria’s reputation as the nations ‘coffee capital’.

“Numerous chain and franchise stores are also targeting coffee consumer, such as McCafe with its recent campaign touting “love your coffee or we’ll replace it”, Donut King advertising its “premium quality Royal Bean coffee” and 7-11 stores with their $1 “barista made coffee”, it’ll be interesting to see whether they too detract from instant coffee purchase or whether they draw consumers away from the more premium options.”

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