Romanians are choosing to drink their coffee more and more often in cafes, even though the price has increased by around 20%. In the last year, customers haven't been deterred, and many even prefer specialty coffees and sophisticated coffee-based drinks. This is a market worth an estimated 600 million euros per year.
How often do Romanians buy coffee?
Mihnea buys a coffee every time he leaves the house. His favorite drink costs 16 lei, but the taste and time spent with friends is worth much more.
"I calculate that I spend around 450 lei per month on coffee, which is a bit much. I could reduce the cost a lot if I drank it at home, for example," he says.
"I drink coffee at home and in the city, so on average I drink about 4 coffees a day, but I combine them, coffee in the city and coffee at home. I think I spend around 500 lei per month on coffee," explains another customer.
Last year, the coffee market consumed in the city reached 600 million euros. Most customers prefer to buy it from cafes, then from gas stations and vending machines.
"I just got a kind of tiramisu latte, with caramel or milk. It's worth the experience, and also because you might want to try new things," says a young woman.
"How often do you drink coffee? Honestly, I work in the city and only drink it like this... rarely at home, only when I'm free. How many per day? 2 maximum," explains another person.
Why has the price of coffee gone up?
Every day, 2 billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide, but climate change is threatening our favorite beverage.
"Due to these temperature fluctuations, farmers are forced to harvest the coffee crop several times. This means that the cost of labor automatically increases, there are high transportation costs, fuel costs are rising, storage costs, and then the actual transportation cost to our country, to which are added the VAT increases in recent years, which have increased from 5% to 19% VAT on coffee, plus sugar excise taxes for those who consume coffee with sugar. We have eliminated the recipes that include sugar, precisely in order to keep the costs or the price as close as possible to what the customer wants. Coffee prices have gone up by about 20% in recent years," confessed the representative of a coffee shop.
Key Points:
Romanians are increasingly enjoying coffee in cafes despite a 20% price increase.
The coffee market in Romania is worth an estimated 600 million euros per year.
Customers prefer to buy coffee from cafes, gas stations, and vending machines.
Specialty coffees and sophisticated coffee-based drinks are becoming more popular.
The price of coffee has increased due to climate change, rising production and transportation costs, and VAT and sugar excise taxes.
Overall, the demand for coffee in Romania remains strong, even with rising prices. Customers are willing to pay more for a quality coffee experience and are increasingly seeking out specialty drinks.
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