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More consumers are turning to service stations and convenience stores for their daily brew as cost of living pressures increase, data shows.
This year 7-Eleven has sold an extra 50,000 cups of coffee per week, with comparable retailers like Reddy Express, formerly Coles Express, experiencing similar growth.
“There’s great choices, it’s not a once sized fits all out of the machine …we’ve got cappuccino, latte, long black,” Reddy Express’ Tracy Hammon said.
Meanwhile, cafe industry profits took a 1.8 per cent dip in 2024, with more than 700 business closing their doors around the country.
With a starting price point of $2, a brew from a servo costs less than half the price of one from a local cafe.
That can lead to more than $1000 in yearly savings for daily coffee purchasers.
But cafe owners are reminding consumers of the importance of shopping local to support the economy.
“We offer an experience more than just looking at the price of a coffee,” Degraves Espresso’s Tony Roussos said.
“Supporting smaller local businesses keeps the community going.”
While some consumers are swapping out their cafe visits for a service station stopover, the biggest market share belongs to instant coffee, which has a 42 per cent hold on the coffee market.
