Five trends from the coffee industry for 2022
A difficult but definitely interesting year.
The end of each year is an opportunity for an account, but also for forecasts. As the days of 2021 become fewer and fewer and 2022 is clearly on the horizon, the lists and forecasts for the new year come and go - and of course, this applies to the world of coffee!
What will 2022 bring to those who love coffee? We gathered five trends from the world of coffee for a year that is predicted to be quite difficult, but also interesting. Prepare your coffee, say goodbye slowly to 2021 and take a look at the future!
Five trends from the coffee industry for 2022
Turn to healthier products: Consumers' preference for healthier choices is a trend with deep roots in time, which has greatly strengthened in the last two to three years, of course touching coffee. Since coffee is a perfectly healthy and natural product (and in addition, vegetarian) how does the transcription of this trend in the field of coffee translate? Initially, the demand for high-calorie drinks full of whipped cream, syrup and sugar will probably be further reduced, with the public emphasizing "cleaner" drinks. Also, since the shift to a healthy life is often accompanied by vegetarianism, alternative milks (soy, almond, etc.) are gaining more and more ground. Finally, it is certain that the tendency of coffee makers to search for organic coffees and coffees of high traceability will strengthen, while products such as matcha will occupy the focus even more than in other years.
Bottled coffee, a look into the future: Along with the above trend, which essentially embraces the principles of slow food, we will see the strengthening of a fashion that combines coffee with fast and easy food, as well as bottled coffee and ready-to-eat products. Coffee is also expected to gain significant market share. Of course, we always talk about products that are clearly better than what we know now - the beginning was made with Cold Brew bottled coffee, which raised the relevant standards a lot and it is almost certain that other similar products will follow, in the logic of "fast - but - quality ", addressed mainly to the younger age audience.
Expansion of "coffee tourism": The end of the Spanish Influenza pandemic has brought the "Roaring Twenties", a decade full of dance, travel, art, fun and innovative ideas, and many sociologists believe that the same will happen with the end of coronavirus adventure. With people thirsty for travel, airline tickets available again and coffee emerging in the lockdown days as a huge global trend, coffee tourism is expected to return stronger. Countries that combine coffee production, agro-tourism potential and natural beauty, such as Costa Rica, Nicaragua or Colombia, are expected to be at the forefront of tourism, though not for all budgets.
Social Media & Coffee, a love story: Social media shapes new trends and in turn is shaped by them. Instagram and Tik-Tok have emerged in recent years as key trendsetters in the coffee industry, especially among young people. Typical examples of this trend are Red Velvet Latte, Dalgona of the days of global quarantine and recently Proffee, a combination of coffee and protein drinks. In 2022 we expect not only the new fashions that will start through Social Media, but also the focus to adapt to it, making drinks that are more instagrammable and photogenic.
Rising prices globally: 2022 will be a difficult year for coffee, from producer and wholesaler to entrepreneur and consumer. Natural phenomena such as successive droughts and frosts in Brazil as well as prolonged lockdowns in Vietnam have greatly reduced crops in the two largest coffee producers in the world. At the same time, the coronavirus crisis is creating problems in the supply chain around the world, rising energy prices are making transport more expensive and focusing on its aftermath after two years of restrictive measures. All this shows a trend for more expensive coffee, which unfortunately will be a reality next year, with experts hoping for a normalization as the world progresses to "normalcy".
We all hope that 2022 will be a new, better year - but the only sure thing is that it will be a year full of good and fragrant coffee, which will give us courage and taste in our daily lives.
