Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee Co. is encouraging consumers to discover new espresso favorites. From March 8 to 14, Starbucks will feature a limited-time beverage offer that allows consumers to buy any espresso beverage before 11 a.m., bring back their receipt after 2 p.m. the same day and purchase any hot or iced espresso beverage for half price.
Seventy percent of consumers said coffee will be part of their Valentine’s Day dinners or dates this year, an independent survey by Dunkin’ Donuts, Canton, Mass., reported. Of those, 50 percent indicated that they would prefer to receive a fresh cup of coffee from their sweetheart rather than flowers.
Instant, ground or whole bean coffee are still the most popular choices for the at-home consumer, but 17 percent of drinkers prefer single-cup coffee, according to a survey by Mintel Group Ltd., Chicago.
Caribou Coffee, Minneapolis, announced that all coffee and espresso varieties available in its stores, online and at retail are now sourced from Rainforest Alliance-certified farms.
With consumer perceptions of the economy about as bleak as a winter weather forecast in the Midwest, it’s no wonder marketers are embracing any and all methods to reach consumers.
The economic downturn caused many consumers to cut back across categories, but coffee consumers have found new ways to enjoy their cup of joe. Approximately 79 percent of adults in the United States drank coffee in the last two years, according to Chicago-based Mintel Group Ltd.’s October Coffee report. However, 48 percent of coffee drinkers surveyed said they are drinking more coffee at home and less away from home in 2011 than they were a year ago — a trend that Mintel predicts will continue to drive retail coffee sales through 2012.