New transaction data from global payments platform Square reveals that Saturday is the single biggest day for coffee purchases across the UK, with 49% more cups sold than on the average weekday.
Consumer research commissioned by Square found that more than half of UK adults (54%) say going for a coffee is a social occasion. This is echoed by Square’s transaction data, which shows Saturday and Sunday are the two busiest days of the week for coffee purchases, with Friday completing the top three.
When consumers find their ideal drink, they tend to stick with it as nearly three in five (59%) say they always order the same coffee, says Square. Nearly a third (30%) describe themselves as loyal to a single coffee shop or chain, rising to 43% in London.
Nearly a quarter (24%) of UK adults drink more coffee than they did two years ago with the flat white the nation’s most ordered coffee, followed by the latte and cappuccino.
However, Square’s transaction data indicates new drinks are breaking though, with the matcha latte breaking into the UK’s top 10 most ordered hot drinks. Ube, the Filipino purple yam flavour, is also growing in popularity.
Social media is a significant driver of this shift, says Square, with more than a quarter of UK adults (27%) saying they have tried a new coffee drink or café after seeing it on social media, rising to 56% among Millennials and 50% among Gen Z.
Nearly three in 10 (29%) UK adults would pay a premium for a coffee made with a specialist ingredient such as matcha or ube, rising to over half of Gen Z (52%).
“The UK’s coffee culture is evolving quickly, and cafés and hospitality businesses are at the heart of that shift. They are responding to younger consumers who are arriving at the counter with new expectations, shaped by what they have seen online,” says John O’Beirne, CEO of Square International.
“Stocking emerging ingredients like matcha and ube is no longer a niche decision, it is a requirement for business owners who want to capture spend from Gen Z and Millennials.”