Ground Coffee Not Cool

While the British are the biggest consumers of instant coffee in Europe, driven by the desire for speed and convenience, many of the new instant coffee products launched over the last year were not destined for the UK at all but for Germany, where ground coffee is king. Germany is still Europe’s biggest market for ground coffee, with some 62 per cent of consumers there drinking nothing but ground, according to research by Mintel. In contrast, just 3 per cent of British adults regularly drink ground coffee, while 44 per cent will opt for instant. What’s prompted manufacturers to target Europe’s staunchest ground coffee consumers with instant products? The answer lies in the current decline in the German coffee market. Between 1998 and 2003, coffee sales dropped 39 per cent from €4.2 billion to €2.6 billion. Coffee manufacturers have been forced to reinvent their products to appeal to a new generation seeking beverages that are healthier and offer a real point of difference with old products. Unfortunately, in Europe, ground coffee is being labelled as ‘uncool.’
(From an original article at www.foodnavigator.com)