New Formats, Lifestyle Choices Transform German Coffee Drinking Habits

Market researcher Mintel finds that nearly half of German consumers want a coffee shop experience, but without the expense. To achieve that they are drinking more coffee at home, often choosing easy, convenient specialty coffee capsules or pods offering a diverse array of flavors. Half of German consumers feel the coffee brewed from the capsules is as good as that bought in a coffee shop. Younger “on-the-go” Germans are turning to ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee shops to get their morning caffeine jolt: two in five Germans aged 25 to 34 say they are interested in these offerings. But the desire for the real coffee shop experience is still strong enough in Germany for Starbuck’s to open several cafés within Rewe super- and hypermarkets this year.