Coffee has experienced a significant surge in global coffee consumption, signaling a promising opportunity for coffee brands worldwide, according to Circana, the market research outlet. The results navigate the key trends and growth patterns within the coffee industry across 12 major countries, including the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, and Brazil.

According to the analysis based on Circana’s CREST Commercial Foodservice data, total coffee servings experienced a 5% year-over-year growth globally, outpacing the 3% recorded in the United States. This growth trend was observed in 11 of the 12 countries tracked, with China emerging as the frontrunner, experiencing the highest coffee consumption growth rate.

“Coffee is a unique category where trends and competition intertwine on both global and local scales,” said Tim Fires, president of global foodservice at Circana. “Cold coffee emerges as a standout trend, experiencing substantial growth across all 12 countries we monitor. However, the competitive landscape, encompassing both chain and independent establishments, exhibits unique characteristics in each country. Understanding both the overarching global trends and the intricacy of the local marketplace is critical for success in this category.”

Key findings include:

• Coffee servings showed growth of 5% across nations, with 11 of the 12 monitored countries forecasted to grow. South Korea stands out as the only country that did not experience year-over-year growth in coffee servings.
• While hot coffee remains the dominant choice globally, cold coffee has gained momentum, indicating a long-term growth trend. China led cold coffee consumption growth from 2019 to 2023, boasting a 20% compound annual growth rate, with cold servings constituting 33% of total coffee consumption.
• Coffee outpaced both tea (+4%) and carbonated soft drinks (+3%) in terms of year-over-year servings growth, emphasizing its position as one of the fastest-growing beverage categories globally.

In January, NACS Daily reported on hot dispensed beverages where cappuccino and specialty coffee was up double-digits in both year-over-year sales and gross profits.