Get up to speed with the latest coffee market intelligence from the World Coffee Portal research team. Plus, upcoming Global Coffee Institute (GCI) events, webinars and key calendar dates for the year ahead
When conducting our European research, we always focus on three specific markets for our consumer research. Last year, we discovered in Ireland that Butlers Chocolate Café was the nation’s favourite coffee chain, in Benelux that 8% of all transactions at coffee shops are food only, and in Spain that three quarters of operators reported sales growth over the last 12 months.
This year, our attention turns back to the French and German markets, both of which have very strong food-focused segments in the shape on patisseries, delicatessens and bakeries which take their coffee provision very seriously. We also introduce a first-time analysis of the Turkish consumer. The above reports all feature surveys with over 2,000 domestic coffee shop users, alongside full market sizing, industry insight and operator profiles.
In May, we’ll once again be investigating the non-specialist market in the UK. These are businesses that hold their main focus elsewhere but offer a sideline in coffee either by way of a branded concept or extensive coffee provision across their sites.
Two years ago when we last covered this segment, Subway was the largest operator but the public perception of the coffee offer from McDonald's, M&S Café and Wetherspoon was far more positive. It will be interesting how this might have changed in the meantime.
You can view all of this year’s report releases here.
The Global Coffee Institute
Later this quarter, we will be introducing new content to the Global Coffee Institute programme in the form of 5THWAVE Unfiltered. Those of you who listen to our podcast (LINK) enjoy hearing from experts in the coffee industry discuss their paths to success or share their expertise on the issues of the day.
These interviews often last up to an hour but are condensed down for the final edit. Now you can listen live to the full interview and even submit your questions to be put to the speaker in question.
The C20 Sustainability Summit is an in-person GCI event taking place June 23-24 in Camden, London. Please reserve your place in advance with my colleague Hannah Heath (hheath@allegra.co.uk).
Non-members can also purchase tickets for this event, so please come along if you are motivated to hear and discuss how the coffee industry can best contribute to the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and ecological degradation which threaten the livelihoods of communities and the future wellbeing of the planet.
Want to become a member of the Global Coffee Institute and not already signed up? Email me for more details to get you up and running (bjourneaux@allegra.co.uk).
Any Other Business
We are trialling a new form of industry survey, keeping to our usual mix of quantitative and qualitative questions, but introducing the ‘versus’ format, where we ask you to choose between two options in a given scenario. The first report to feature this will be The Non-Specialists Report UK 2026, and if you are on our mailing list you will receive an invite in due course.
If you don’t regularly receive our surveys but would like to in future, please get in touch with my colleague Ellie (ehackett@allegra.co.uk).
The £1 four-week trial for our digital premium news and insight content online is coming to an end this quarter. Subscribers will enjoy two upcoming editions of 5THWAVE Magazine, the first focused on how Gen Z consumer behaviours are very different to those of younger generations of the past and reshaping coffee shop markets, the second tied into the C20 summit discussing the future of the coffee industry if greater action isn’t taken to avert climate catastrophe.
Bradley Journeaux,
Head of Research & Client Relations, World Coffee Portal
