Coffee drinkers throughout New Zealand have directed their attention to new and alternative trends that have swept the market.
New Zealand’s coffee preferences have swung in the direction for alternatives according to recent data, which has explored why kiwis have begun to ditch the flat white.
The popularity of iced drinks and alternatives like matcha has grown significantly in recent years, and while New Zealanders still enjoy a flat white or a cappuccino, there are indicators that the local market is heading in a slightly different direction.
In the first half of 2024, there was an increase of 102 percent in iced latte orders through POS company Bustle’s platform. This is compared to the same period in 2021. The data also found that outlets serve an average of 168 iced lattes per month, up from 83 per month just a few years earlier.
The research also found that orders for matcha had surged by 84 percent over the same three year period, which has been strongly influenced by the global trends for health benefits and unique flavours. Iced americanos and iced chai lattes were also in strong demand, having increased in popularity by over 50 percent.
Commentators have been quick to point out that New Zealand customers have become more adventurous with coffee and beverage orders, and that the idea of an iced latte doesn’t have to be confined to summer months, with popularity for them spread across the entire year.
Global trends like matcha-based beverages have been on a steady incline of popularity within the New Zealand market, which is also expected to boost the growth of other alternative beverages such as turmeric lattes and adaptogenic options. Unique alternative beverages have gained traction due to their ability to stand out, offer a point of difference and attract more customers in the midst of a challenging time of the industry.
Coffee customers have still remained loyal to the ever-popular flat white despite all the excitement for trending alternatives. More than half of all sales from the Bustle data were for flat whites, with an average of 1,155 sold per month per hospitality outlet. In the top five, in order after flat whites, are lattes, cappuccinos, long blacks, and mochas, with iced lattes ranking just outside the top five in sixth place.
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