Coffee shops have been at the forefront of introducing higher-end lifestyles to China. Thanks to the flow of international coffee chains, appreciation of out-of-home coffee drinking culture is gaining momentum. More than simply defining different coffee chains into fast casual, business-oriented and homely setting models, more crucially they are required to further distinguish themselves with unique images for different types of coffee house users.
Suitability for working or studying, integrating environmentally friendly design and offering coffee-related experiential events are the top three most appealing features that would encourage consumers to choose one coffee house over another.
Definition
This report covers those establishments where coffee is the primary sales item or the main selling point to attract consumers. They are based on the European and North American coffee shop models, typified by Starbucks, Costa Coffee and UBC Coffee, offering a wide variety of coffee drinks, eg cappuccino, latte, mocha, etc. Other items are usually on sale, such as pastries, pasta, tea, coffee beans etc. However, the food offer may be restricted.
This report covers coffee house chains as well as independent coffee houses. Coffee houses include venues such as individual stores, kiosks and concessions. These may operate in a number of locations – shopping malls, department stores as well as bookshops. However, they must be independent of the facility they are located in.
Methodology
This is a marketing intelligence report published by Mintel. The consumer research exclusively commissioned for this report was conducted by a Chinese licensed market survey agent (see Research Methodology China for more information).
For the purpose of this report, Mintel commissioned a quantitative research survey carried out online by QQSurvey to explore consumer attitudes towards coffee houses.
Fieldwork was conducted in September 2015, in four tier one cities and six tier two and three cities of 3,000 internet users aged 20-49. Tier one cities include Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Chengdu. Tier two and three cities include Jinan, Handan, Hefei, Xiamen, Guilin and Wuhan.
