MCA
Survey: Soft options outdo coffee
Data from MCA’s latest EatingOut Panel (EOP) shows that, despite its compelling influence over the market in recent years, coffee lost out
to soft drinks and alcohol in Q1 2016 compared to the same period last year.
According to the EOP data, cola was the big driver of consumption — growing its share of total drinks by around five percentage points (pps) across breakfast, lunch and dinner and widening its lead on hot drinks during snacking occasions.
Alcohol also rebounded at dinner, driven in particular by beer and cider.
Meanwhile, hot drinks lost market share across all day parts, driven by coffee's fall.
Coffee remains key at breakfast but has lost share of total drinks consumed, dropping to 34% from 38% last year. The rise in soft drinks’ share of the total was driven by cola, which grew from 4% to 9%, diet cola (3.5% to 5%) and bottled water (7% to 8%). Fruit juices, meanwhile lost share, falling from 9% to 6% of the total.
At lunch, soft drinks were again the winner, increasing share by 5pps to 53% as hot drinks fell 4pps to 34% and alcohol dipped 1pp to 13%.
At dinner, alcohol saw the biggest boost — up 2pp to 41.5% of the total with soft drinks rising 1pp to 48.5% and hot drinks down 3pp
to 10%.
In the alcohol category, beer and cider drove growth, taking their share from 17.1% last year to 19% this year, while wine was up from 16% to 17%. Coffee dropped 1pp across the year.
MCA executive director Simon Stenning said: “The apparent rise in consumption of soft drinks at the expense of coffee is an interesting development, especially considering the national debate about the health implications of sugary drinks during this period.
“It will need to be monitored longer term to see whether this trend is here to stay. It will be interesting to see what impact the sugar tax has when it comes into force.
“Soft drinks producers are taking the fight to both coffee and alcohol brands.”
■ For more information contact Sophie Barber on sophie.barber@mca-insight.com.
