MyVoice carried out a survey of its community at the start of this month to see what they thought about self-service (counter service only) coffee shops. 16,311 people, 46% male, completed their internet questionnaire. 3% were teenagers, 24% in their twenties, 37% in their thirties, 24% in their forties, and 12% fifty years old or over.
Japan is apparently the only country in the world (sorry, I can’t find a definite statement of the statistics) where the Coca-Cola Company make more money (or sell more by volume, or something) with a drink other than their signature fizzy brown bevarage, namely their line of Georgia canned coffee, which are, on the whole, either over-sugary, over-milky (a friend got kidney stones from drinking six or eight cans a day and hardly any other liquids, bar beer) or over-bitter for my taste.
Also note that in Japan there is little tradition of carrying out a cup of coffee from a shop. Even around Starbucks, almost no-one will drink their coffee anywhere bar the shop; I personally can only recall one time seeing a Japanese person carrying a coffee cup onto a train, for instance.
Finally, most coffee shops are still smoking. Starbucks is non-smoking throughout (except for seating outside, if available), but other chains often have perhaps only have a quarter or less reserved for non-smokers, and little effective segregation. However, note the last question, about why people like their particular favourite chain – only 9.5% choose smoking segregation (all non-smoking was not an option) as a plus, at most just a fifth of the Starbucks fans, versus 9% who choose that smoking is allowed, which is again just about a fifth of those with a favourite other than Starbucks.
I seem to have written far too much about Starbucks already! I’m much more a tea and table service man myself.
Q1: Which drinks do you usually drink a lot of? (Sample size=16,311, multiple answer)
Coffee 77.1% Green tea 54.2% Brown tea 43.6% Milk, milk-based drinks 31.7% Oolong Tea 30.8% Cocoa 24.8% Fruit juice, fruit drinks 21.1% Mineral water 20.0% Sports drinks 19.9% Fizzy drinks 17.5% Other 6.8% Nothing in particular 1.3% Q2: About how often do you visit a self-service coffee shop? (Sample size=16,311)
Almost every day 2.6% Three or four times a week 3.6% Once or twice a week 11.2% Two or three times a month 21.9% Once a month or less 42.2% Never 18.6% Note that people may visit coffee shops but drink something other than coffee.
Q3: At what times do you visit self-service coffee shops? (Sample size=approximately 13,277, self-service coffee shop users, multiple answer)
When I want a rest 46.5% To chat with friends 32.9% Just to pass the time 29.3% For snacks 29.0% When my throat is dry 24.8% To change the/my mood 22.4% To eat lunch 16.9% Don’t know why! 14.6% When I want a smoke 9.2% To eat breakfast 8.8% Business discussions, meetings, other work 5.4% To read 4.8% To study 2.9% To eat evening meal 1.8% To use PC 1.4% Other 2.4% No answer 1.3% Q4: What self-service coffee shops have you used? (Sample size=approximately 13,277, self-service coffee shop users, multiple answer)
Starbucks 82.1% Doutor Coffee 78.8% Tully’s Coffee 32.4% Saint Marc Cafe 30.5% Pronto Caffe 25.9% Excelsior Caffe 25.6% Caffe Veloce 22.0% Cafe de Crie 15.7% Cafe Colorado 7.4% Other 9.1% No answer 1.4% Q5: What self-service coffee shop chain do you like the most? (Sample size=approximately 13,277, self-service coffee shop users, multiple answer)
Starbucks 34.1% Doutor Coffee 19.7% Tully’s Coffee 3.9% Saint Marc Cafe 3.3% Excelsior Caffe 2.7% Caffe Veloce 2.5% Pronto 1.4% Cafe de Crie 1.3% Cafe Cororado 0.3% Other 1.4% None in particular 27.7% No answer 1.7% Q6: For what reasons do you like that self-service coffee shop chain the most? (Sample size=approximately 9,374, those with favourite self-service coffee shop, multiple answer)
Drink taste or quality is good 45.0% Reasonable prices 40.8% Good atmosphere in shop 37.1% Easy to enter shop interior 25.3% Good access 17.5% Comfortable 17.2% Food taste or quality is good 16.2% Varied menu 14.3% Originality of menu 10.6% Smoking is segregated 9.5% Smoking is allowed 9.0% Don’t know why! 8.7% Good service 8.7% Shop brand 8.2% Points or promotions 1.3% Other 1.9% Nothing in particular 1.9% No answer 0.4%
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