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The Future of Coffee
2026-05-05T08:00:48+00:00
REP989BBD18_26D8_4FEC_9BBD_1826D8BFEC0A
2195
193137
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Published Date: May 5, 2026 | "Brands will combat the 'trading down' blues, recruit younger consumers with flavour innovation and elevate coffee's escapism credentials through premiumisation." Cormac Henry, Associate Director…
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Coffee
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The Future of Coffee

Published Date: May 5, 2026 | "Brands will combat the 'trading down' blues, recruit younger consumers with flavour innovation and elevate coffee's escapism credentials through premiumisation." Cormac Henry, Associate Director - Food & Drink

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  1. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

    • Where we are now
    • In the next two years
    • In five years and beyond
  2. IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS

    • In the next two years
  3. BRANDS WILL COMBAT THE ‘TRADING DOWN’ BLUES

    • Brands will need to combat the ‘trading down’ blues
    • Renovation will unlock greater taste appeal
    • Premium instant coffee will be positioned as special and cost effective
    • Brands will dial up escapism with textural imagery
    • Concentrates will allow affordable cafe-style iced drinks at home
  4. FLAVOUR WILL UNLOCK NEW GROWTH AVENUES

    • Other formats will challenge RTD for their share of flavoured coffee
    • Capitalise on early signals of new flavour innovation
    • Graph 1: flavour landscape, coffee*, 2021-26
    • Interpreting the flavour map
    • Flavour choice will be validated against consumer demand
    • Add sensory magic to boost the indulgence of flavoured coffee
    • Unflavoured coffee will alleviate ultra-processing concerns among younger consumers
    • RTD will pivot towards flavours for sober curious Millennials
  5. PREMIUMISATION WILL ELEVATE  ESCAPISM

    • Brands will dial up the joy with premium at-home coffee
    • Graph 2: agreement with “I can make coffees at home that are just as enjoyable as those from a coffee shop/café”, by usage of coffee type, 2025
    • Brands will leverage premium pillars to communicate quality
    • Coffee equipment will unlock new areas of aspirational purchase for brands
    • Foodservice activations will spark ideas for premiumisation in at-home coffee brands
    • Protein RTDs will be the long-awaited star of ‘functional’ coffee
  6. IN FIVE YEARS AND BEYOND

    • In five years and beyond
    • GLP-1 users will seek ‘caffeine considered’ milky RTDs
    • Brands will look to Asia for growth strategies
    • Brands will dial up the fun to unlock Gen Z’s rising income
    • Graph 3: ideal coffee brand descriptors, 2025
    • Brands will partner fun visuals with taste for Gen Z
  7. KEY TAKEAWAYS

    • Key takeaways
Download Report Summary

Published Date: May 5, 2026

"Brands will combat the 'trading down' blues, recruit younger consumers with flavour innovation and elevate coffee's escapism credentials through premiumisation."

Cormac Henry, Associate Director - Food & Drink

Cormac Henry, Associate Director - Food & Drink

Discover the most important future trends in coffee with Mintel’s Future Of report. The report identifies the key consumer and industry trends that will impact the coffee industry over the next five years.

Upcoming global trends in coffee are analysed and succinctly presented alongside relevant insights from Mintel’s consumer data. So you can understand how consumer demands will change and identify future innovation and growth opportunities.

Purchase the full report for a complete breakdown of the trends shaping the future of the coffee industry in 2026. Alongside Mintel’s pick of the most innovative and inspirational coffee launches introduced to the global market. Understanding the future of coffee has never been so easy.

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