Greater demand for premium coffee is giving a jolt to sales

Tea is slowly but surely being pushed out as Poland’s hot beverage of choice, with increasing numbers of Poles opting to drink coffee instead. The average Pole now drinks one cup of coffee and one cup of tea per day.

As a result, by 2015 the value of the coffee market in Poland will have reached €1.3 billion, an 8 percent increase on last year, according to a new report from Euromonitor International.

“In 2010, the coffee culture became increasingly widespread and sophisticated in Poland. The aspiring generation of 30- to 40-year-old consumers continued to show an appetite for affordable luxury items,” Euromonitor wrote in the report.

“This, in turn, stimulated the demand for premium positioned coffees. In particular, fresh coffee beans, coffee pods, and specialist coffee shops benefited from the growing coffee culture in Poland.”

Coffee is expected to become even more of a premium product during the period up to 2015, which will result in the availability of new varieties and in turn stimulate further growth, the report found.

This desire for fresh premium coffee made from real beans is encouraging businesses from a wide variety of sectors to jump on the coffee bandwagon. In addition to new coffee shops from chains including Starbucks and Coffeeheaven, grocery stores, gas stations and fast-food chains are also developing facilities which allow clients to enjoy a cup of the beverage. And with more locations this means greater competition and as a result lower prices.

In Poland, Kraft Foods Polska currently leads the way in terms of market share due to sales of its premium Jacobs family brand and its mainstream Maxwell House brand.