South Africa's love affair with coffee is reaching new heights, especially with at-home consumption. Pick n Pay has seen the sales of coffee plungers and machines grow by over 1000% since Covid-times, and they are now seizing the opportunity to captivate more coffee enthusiasts with its latest offering.

With the rising trend of coffee indulgence among consumers, the retailer has introduced two new coffee brands to meet the growing demand.

Once a humble morning staple, coffee has evolved into a global phenomenon, enticing coffee lovers worldwide. The popular drink is now one of the popular beverages used as a pick-me-up, exercise fuel, or, more lately, the latest TikTok trend.

South Africa is no exception, as coffee aficionados continue to make coffee as part of their daily rituals. “The pandemic awakened a passion for brewing coffee at home, inspiring customers to experiment with different blends and techniques,” says Nicki Russell, Head: Product and Quality at Pick n Pay.

The retailer is also increasing the coffee equipment it sells to make the perfect brew due to the massive demand for these products.

"Coffee and other 'reward' items like chocolates and biscuits have become an affordable luxury that many are savouring. People are investing more time and money into enhancing their coffee experience at home, paying attention to the nuances and styles of different coffees and blends," explains Russell.

She adds that the continued work-from-home culture is also driving at-home consumption.

The South African Coffee Industry Landscape Report 2023 by Insight Survey says that, in South Africa, the “at-home market” (covering all retail sales) experienced very strong growth achieving a 17.4% year-on-year increase last year. It also expects the market to grow by 13.6% between 2023 and 2027. The global coffee market will reach an estimated value of approximately $495.5bn this year and $541.1bn by 2025.

Riding this coffee wave, Pick n Pay is not only innovating its private label by introducing a new range of coffee under its premium Crafted Collection by PnP brand but has also unveiled its exclusive coffee brand, The Roastery. The Roastery range represents an extension of the retailer's coffee bars, which are now being introduced in revamped Pick n Pay stores. Customers can find The Roastery coffee bar in nearly 40 stores, with additional locations planned for the near future, staffed by trained coffee baristas.

The Roastery coffee range boasts four ground and seven bean options, while the premium Crafted Collection range includes three ground and bean options. Tapping into the huge instant coffee market, the retailer will launch an instant coffee range across both brands next month, followed by coffee pods.

“Our private label has always offered customers exceptional value. These exclusive coffee ranges allow customers to try different blends at affordable prices. This will give customers access to first-world coffee as the beans are globally sourced, but with a local twist as the range is specially hand-picked, roasted, blended and packed locally,” concludes Russell.