Coffee pods are single-served, pre-packed coffee canister that is enough for brewing one cup of coffee and comes with their own filter. Coffee made using coffee pods saves both time and energy by simplifying the brewing process. Coffee pods are available in various quantities, flavours and additives according to the need of the consumer. The coffee pod market in Italy is segmented into categories: the type of coffee pod, caffeine content, flavour, and distribution channel.
Italy is one of the highest coffee-consuming countries in Europe and the demand is growing even further. According to the CBI data, Italy consumes about 5.9 kg of coffee per capita annually and accounts for 11 per cent of total coffee consumed in Europe. In 2021, almost 314 million kg of green coffee beans were consumed in Italy. This data demonstrates the growing strength of the country’s coffee sector. Therefore, the introduction of coffee pods has had the greatest impact on the Italian coffee industry and has spread in this country like wildfire.
The demand for coffee pods in Italy has been growing recently and is expected to do so in the future. Consumers are particularly attracted to coffee pods because of their convenience and affordability. Other factors such as rising disposable income, rapid urbanisation, and changing food trends are also contributing to the expansion of the coffee pod market in Italy.
Growing demand for single-serve coffees will also support the coffee pod market growth in the country.
Italian consumers are also ready to spend money on single-serve coffee machines so they may have a cafe-like experience at home which has also boosted the demand for coffee pods in this country. Pre-packaged coffee dispensers, such as pods and capsules, are used by these machines. Owing to its widespread use, single-serve coffee has led Italian coffee retailers to meet this demand by offering a broad variety of coffee capsules in their product lines. Italian companies have also started to invest in sustainable packaging solutions for these pods and launched biodegradable and eco-friendly coffee pods and capsules. For instance, as part of its commitment to sustainability, the Italian coffee company Lavazza introduced its first-ever carbon-neutral aluminium capsules in August 2022 that are compatible with its Nespresso Original machines. According to CBI data, about 37 per cent of Italian coffee drinkers choose pods or capsules to drink coffee at home whereas, at work, over 50 per cent prefer single-serve coffee.
Increasing popularity of artisanal, gourmet, speciality, premium coffee pods
Italy’s speciality coffee sector is expanding. In addition to more coffee chains, Italy is gradually gaining more speciality coffee roasters and stores. The growth of speciality coffee shops and small-scale speciality roasters like Nero Scuro, Pierre Cafè and Cafezal Specialty Coffee is another indicator of the speciality coffee industry in Italy. Moroever, customers frequently choose roasted coffee pods that are flavour-enhanced with caramel, vanilla, etc. Therefore key market players are offering flavoured, speciality and gourmet coffee pods catering to those needs. In August 2022, Italian coffee company Lavazza launched biodegradable coffee pods in six different speciality blends.
Market Key Developments
Segmentation: