Sales soar as record numbers make their own lattes and espressos at home

Record numbers of Britons are getting their cafe-style espresso coffee fix in their own homes.

Supermarket sales of coffee pods – premeasured capsules of ground coffee and milk designed for home espresso machines – soared to £102million last year as shoppers turned to making their own cappuccinos and lattes.

Sales revenues from these products rose 52 percent and volumes by 54 percent – to the equivalent of 310 million cups, market data firm IRI found.

Premium pod varieties including cappuccino, latte and macchiato dominated sales with a 62 percent share while black coffee made up 31 percent and espresso seven percent.

In contrast, sales of regular instant coffee were down 10 percent to £198 million while premium instant fell 4 percent to £244 million.

In terms of pod type, Kraft’s Tassimo led the pack with a 51 percent share of the sector as the brand generated sales of £58 million – up 52 percent. IRI analyst Jen Ayling told trade magazine The Grocer, “The coffee menu in supermarkets has expanded rapidly with coffee shop favourites such as cappuccino, latte and macchiato. As a result the average in-store range is now at 23 items compared to 14 items five years ago. This has increased the drinking occasions and made it more relevant for the under-35s who may shun traditional hot drinks in favour of water and soft drinks.”

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