Market Channels for Coffee – Part Four2 min read

The coffee market has represented for a long time a promising opportunity for importers and exporters coming from completely different parts of the worlds. We have seen in the previous parts of this multi-part installment that market strategies, political conventions, respect towards different cultures and environment are intrinsically linked to the coffee market. So far, selling coffee has proven to be, most of the times, a success story. The market seemed to present endless possibilities for further development. Is it still the case ? Is this tendency going to preserve itself for the times to come ? Experts in coffee market development recommend prudence and in-depth analysis for those who want to invest in this sector.

The first thing to consider is the region one wants to approach. After years of continuous growth, it seems that “coffee market in Western Europe is saturated”. This is the conclusion drawn by CBI coffee market experts. In order to continue to have a flowering business or to further develop a company’s activity, it is crucial to pay attention to the market demands.

When referring to the coffee market, the term “Western” is pretty vague. Different countries in the West respond differently to the markets offers. For instance, “in the U.K., organic sales are decreasing, while Fair trade is growing fast”. It is an observation that appears in a CBI document. The situation changes as we move to Germany and France, where the consumers’ demand seems to favor organic coffee. Out-home consumption is on the rise in these region too, so growing opportunities for business in this area are to be envisaged. The CBI experts forecast therefore “a development of the European specialty market”. Nevertheless, the indication is for investors to keep an eye on the economic situation in every country, seeing that “economic recession in Europe seems to have a stagnation effect”.

That being said, good opportunities for business in the coffee sector are to be seen in the near future in the new emerging EU countries in Eastern Europe. Since there is no economic recession in these countries, opportunities are, theoretically, immense. “The coffee culture”, so much linked to Western nations, is most likely going to conquer the Eastern European regions. Also, the sustainable coffee segment is yet about to see its glory, as consumers all over the world are more and more concerned with environmental issues.

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