Three opportunities in out-of-home hot coffee

Kantar Worldpanel’s global out-of-home (OOH) service – measuring what people buy and consume away from their home – shows that hot coffee is bought and consumed outside the home by over half the population across France, Spain, the UK, China, Portugal, Brazil and Mexico.

Within these countries 70% of hot coffee spend happening out-of-home with different patterns by country. In China, for instance, 95% of the hot coffee purchases are done away from home, while in Mexico it totals 62% with potential for further growth. 

Three areas to focus on 

1. Develop the big markets: With the population size and rapid rates of development in Brazil, Mexico and China, there is huge potential to increase both market penetration and frequency of consumption in these markets. Due to the population size in China it is the second biggest coffee market in our study, after the UK, despite coffee only making up 7% of OOH beverages occasions. 
   
   
2. Focus on the experience: In the markets where spend per occasion is low such as Brazil and Portugal, there is great opportunity to develop market value by introducing new channel concepts where sharing and premium experiences are enhanced.
   
   
3. Encourage cross-selling: Coffee is a natural accompaniment to a variety of snacks and this is a good way to increase spend per trip. Sales increase two to three times when cookies, pastries or sandwiches are added to the order.

Consumption patterns are quite different across each country and it’s important to understand this to fully appreciate these opportunities.

Country habits

In this study, Western Europe is the largest market for consumption of hot coffee away from the home. Over three quarters of the population across the UK, Spain and Portugal buy coffee when they are out and about. It’s not just an occasional treat either, with the British and Spanish enjoying it at least once a week. Consumption of hot coffee is significantly lower in the other countries in our analysis, with only 40 to 54% of the population buying hot coffee OOH in Brazil, Mexico and China.

Customer occasion

The profile of those who buy hot coffee out-of-home differs considerably by country and its stage of market development. In markets where consumption is more established such as Spain, the consumer tends to be middle class and male, with the occasion taking place mostly at breakfast (60% of occasions). This contrasts with China, a newer market, where coffee is more likely to be drunk after work whilst socializing by young, upper class females (40% of occasions).

Place of purchase

Where coffee is purchased makes a big difference to the average spend per occasion. In the UK, Mexico and China it is high ($2.9, $2.6 and $4.5, respectively) because of the prevalence of coffee shops. 

By contrast, in Brazil and Portugal coffee is mainly purchased in bars, which drives the average spend per trip close to the $1 mark.

About our global out-of-home service

These insights have been taken from the global out-of-home service, which covers different types of food and beverages. A more detailed report will be available shortly. Do not miss our latest updates by signing up for our newsletter.

Download the infographic through the link on this page and please get in touch if you want to find out more about the service.