Speaking at the recent NCA Coffee Summit, presenter Don Holly, an independent analyst, spelt out how single cup brewing is revolutionizing the coffee market. Expanding on data from the NCA’s recently released report, Single-Cup Format 2014 – The Changing Coffee Market: Single Cup & Preparation Methods, his presentation affirmed the fact the single cup has had the biggest impact on home coffee brewing since ‘Mr Coffee’ hit store shelves in the 1970s.
Drawing on extensive industry experience, he also estimated the single-cup segment’s growth potential at US$8-9 billion, and envisioned single-cup brewers eventually being used in 50 per cent of US households (up from 15 per cent at present), as well as significant penetration growth in quick serve restaurants.
“Single-cup brewing is now rapidly gaining on the drip method,” said the NCA. “Growth in single-cup brewing has quadrupled in just the last four years – or, viewed another way, has captured nearly a third of preparation share since the brewers were launched in the market around 2005.”
Over the last year alone, the NCA’s market research shows that single-cup brewing has jumped nearly 10 points. During the same four-year period, the drip method has fallen by a third, with just over half of daily consumers using the method that has dominated the category for four decades.
Not surprisingly, ownership of single-cup brewers is increasing as well. Ownership has doubled over the last four years, securing 15 per cent of the coffee-maker market among daily consumers.
