BOGOTA – According to the National Coffee Drinking Trends Study developed by the National Coffee Association (NCA), 85% of the US =population recognizes Colombia as a coffee producing country.
Comparatively, Brazil was recognized by 67%, and Costa Rica, Kenya and Vietnam were recognized by 59%, 33% and 16% of the population respectively. Therefore, the study positions Colombia as the most widely recognized coffee producing country in the US.
Colombia also keeps leading the way in terms of quality perception associated with origin: 96% of American consumers considers Colombian coffee to be a good or excellent coffee.
Additionally, the study revealed that 89% of regular coffee consumers and 75% of non-coffee consumers recognize Colombian coffee.
In terms of age disaggregation, Café de Colombia is recognized by the following segments: 89% of people over 60 years, 88% of people between 40 and 59 years, 82% of people between 25 and 39 years, and 77% of people between 18 and 24 years.
Young people are drinking more coffee
The study reflects the key role that coffee plays in the lives of Americans: 61% of Americans consume coffee regularly. This percentage is well above the consumption of tap water (54%), bottled water (46%), tea (44%), soft drinks (41%) and juice (33%).
Current coffee consumption in the US is one of the highest registered throughout the country’s history. The consumption levels of the past three years had not been recorded since 1975.
The most avid coffee consumers are those between 40 and 59 years (63%) and those over 60 years (65%).
Although people between 18 and 24 years old –including millennials– continue to have the lowest coffee consumption percentage (51%), coffee consumption amongst this group increased at a higher rate than in any other age group between 2013 and 2014.
The average consumption of people between 18 and 24 years increased from 2.3 cups to 3.3 cups per day.
The younger the consumer, the more likely he or she is to prefer espresso-based drinks (cappuccino, espresso, mocha, latte, macchiato and americano) and gourmet coffee (traditional drinks with premium beans, espresso-based, iced and ready to drink) over traditional coffee.
Young people are also opting for more sophisticated preparation methods. Hence, younger generations are a key niche for Café de Colombia.
All of these trends have generated a steady increase both in the consumption of gourmet coffee and espresso-based drinks, and in the use of pod and espresso machines. In 2014, gourmet coffee consumption surpassed the consumption of regular coffee for the first time in US history.
These results not only confirm the quality of Colombian coffee, but also the success of the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation’s (FNC) promotion and origin denomination initiatives.
Current market trends reveal that the expansion opportunities of Café de Colombia are promising. Colombia is widely recognized as an origin and its coffee is acknowledged as a premium product of excellent quality.
