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Are we spending too much on coffee?

Woman paying coffeeEach year, Canstar Blue surveys the coffee drinking and buying habits of New Zealanders.  This year we have surveyed 1,566 people across the country, who have bought coffee from a coffee shop chain in the last six months and we can say that buying coffee is a universally popular habit across ages and locations. Here’s a quick breakdown:

Coffee drinkers in Auckland

Aucklanders spend, on average, $14.02 a week on coffee and see it as a social (and socially-responsible) thing to do.

Almost one quarter of Aucklanders say that drinking coffee makes them feel sophisticated (24%). They’re also the most likely group surveyed to regularly hold business meetings in a local café (20%); perhaps Auckland-based café owners have a particularly good level of customer service and store ambience.

While many won’t go out of their way to buy a good cup of coffee, they do care about the environmental impacts of coffee. A worrying 15% of Aucklanders also admit that they sometimes have so many coffees in a day that they haven’t been able to sleep.

Farmer coffee beans

 

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Coffee drinkers in Waikato

Those in Waikato spend around $100 less per year on coffee than their Auckland counterparts spending, on average, $12.09 a week on coffee.

Residents of Waikato appear to see drinking coffee as a business-as-usual activity – rather than a business opportunity activity; at only 9%, survey respondents from the Waikato are the least likely to regularly hold business meetings in a local café. They’re also the least likely to care about the ethical/environmental impacts of coffee although fortunately, at 42% of respondents, their environmental concern is still reasonably high.

Coffee drinkers in Wellington

Wellingtonians spend, on average, $12.57 a week on coffee – and they need it!

Of the geographic groups surveyed, Wellingtonians are most likely (equal with Otago) to not be able to start their day without a coffee (42%) and most likely to often consider coffee to be their breakfast (28%). It might taste good but without food, it’s not really a healthy way to start the day.

Making a meal from your coffee

 

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Coffee drinkers in Otago

Our survey respondents from Otago spend, on average, $13.14 a week on coffee – and it’s all about the taste!

Those from Otago are the most likely to go out of their way to buy a good cup of coffee (61%), most likely (equal with Wellington) to not be able to start their day without a coffee (42%) and most likely to drink more coffee than they think they should (33%).

Obviously, there are many coffee connoisseurs in Otago – and perhaps a few coffee addicts as well!

Coffee drinkers in Bay of Plenty

Those from Bay of Plenty spend, on average, $12.25 a week and seem to be pretty relaxed about the whole thing!

Those from the Bay of Plenty are least likely to say that drinking coffee makes them feel sophisticated (8%), least likely (equal with Waikato) to judge others based on what type of coffee they drink (6%), least likely to not be able to start their day without a coffee (31%), least likely (equal with Waikato) to often consider coffee to be their breakfast (18%), least likely to have had so many coffees in a day that they haven’t been able to sleep (8%) and least likely to drink more coffee than they think they should (23%).

Sounds like they’ve got it sorted!

Life is short coffee

 

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So which coffee shop chains rate well with our survey respondents? You can see how various coffee chains rated here.

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