According to the latest data from food and drink ordering app Skip, Sydneysiders pay less for their daily caffeine fix than their southern neighbours in Melbourne. Skip crunched the numbers from more than 200,000 coffee orders across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland and found Sydney residents are paying on average $3.90 for a medium-sized coffee versus $4.10 in Melbourne and $4.44 in Brisbane.
Queenslanders and people in NSW show a firm preference for the flat white, while Victorians are keen for a latte. But the beloved cappuccino, with its froth and sprinkle of chocolate, still ranks highly – it came in second in NSW and Queensland and third in Victoria.
“It’s fascinating to see the evolution of coffee culture in Australia and that our very own invention, the flat white, has become a firm favourite,” said Skip General Manager, Bill Bizos.
“Victoria, and Melbourne in particular, is known for its coffee culture but the Skip data shows it’s actually Sydneysiders who pay the least for their coffee,” he said.
The most common choices in NSW are a small coffee (48%), skim milk (55%) and a flat white (30%), while in Victoria consumers are most likely to choose a small coffee (43%), skim milk (50%) and a latte (48%).
Skim milk is the preferred accompaniment to most coffees in Victoria and NSW, while Queenslanders show a strong preference for regular milk (54%). Soy milk remains the preferred dairy-free milk, although in NSW almond milk has become a solid alternative, requested by four percent of customers.
The data from Skip also highlights the trend towards personalisation in coffee orders with a number of highly specific beverage options making an appearance on the list. Among the specialist orders gaining popularity are the ¾ latte, pour over, cold drip and the very Melbourne-specific ‘magic’ (steamed milk poured over a double ristretto and served in a 160ml glass).
Skip is a smartphone app that helps customers ‘skip the queue’ by ordering and pre-paying for coffee and food. People can order in advance and pick up at a pre-arranged time. Skip was developed in response to the trend for on-demand services for time-poor consumers.
