Coffee has long been a staple of Canada's beverage spectrum. Global studies consistently place our country in the top five when measuring the number of litres of coffee that each Canadian consumes.
These studies have their naysayers, who claim that European nations that would never dream of concocting an "Americano" - such as Italy or Spain - cannot compare with Canada's abundant containers of brewed non-espresso if we are measuring millilitres, and not servings.
With this in mind, Research Co. wanted to take a look at the coffee habits of British Columbians. We focused on consumption outside the home, which places people are more likely to visit or shun when they require caffeine, and just how many have embraced the environmentally friendly concept of using their own mug.
For starters, non-coffee drinkers are a minority. Only one in five British Columbians (20 per cent) say they do not consume coffee outside of their home in a regular week. About three in five (59 per cent) admit to drinking anywhere from one to six cups, while 22 per cent consume seven or more cups of coffee in a week - a proportion that reaches 25 per cent among residents of Metro Vancouver.
When British Columbians who drink coffee outside of their home are asked about their favourite place to get their fix, Tim Hortons is in first place with 43 per cent of the "coffee vote," followed by Starbucks at 31 per cent. Other chains - such as Blenz, Second Cup and Waves - are in single digits.
Tim Hortons is ahead across all gender and age demographics in British Columbia, Starbucks gets is best showing among women (35 per cent) and residents aged 18 to 34 (also 35 per cent).
On a regional basis, Tim Hortons obliterates the competition in northern B.C. (61 per cent), Vancouver Island (53 per cent) and southern B.C. (42 per cent). In coffee-loving Metro Vancouver, the two global brands are practically tied: Tim Hortons is the first choice for 39 per cent of urban coffee drinkers, with Starbucks at 38 per cent.
Coffee drinkers in British Columbia also had strong opinions about the places they would never visit to get a cup of coffee. One in five (20 per cent) say they avoid Tim Hortons, including 25 per cent of those aged 18 to 34 and 24 per cent of those aged 35 to 54. Conversely, 18 per cent of coffee drinkers say they would never visit Starbucks, including 25 per cent of those aged 55 and over.
The rivalry between the two main franchises is powerful as well. More than a third of those who say Starbucks is their favourite place to get coffee (35 per cent) say they never go to Tim Hortons. More than two in five coffee drinkers who express a preference for Tim Hortons (42 per cent) say they always spurn Starbucks.
Last year, Research Co. found that 55 per cent of City of Vancouver residents would welcome customers paying an additional fee for the disposable cups they require when purchasing a beverage. Some coffee shops have a different approach, by reducing the price if a customer brings his or her own container.
The coffee-drinking public has not wholeheartedly embraced the concept of the travel mug for regular use. Only 19 per cent of British Columbians who drink coffee outside their home say they always bring their own mug to the coffee shops, while 24 per cent claim to do this "some of the time." One-third of coffee drinkers (34 per cent) never bring their own mug, including 40 per cent of women and 48 per cent of British Columbians aged 55 and over.
The prevalance of travel mug users is higher among those who prefer Starbucks (70 per cent) than Tim Hortons (63 per cent). However, as one respondent from Burnaby explained, part of this behaviour may be directly connected to a specific promotion. "No rim to roll on my travel mug," he wrote.
Two-thirds of British Columbians who drink coffee outside their home (65 per cent) are part of a loyalty program at their favourite coffee shop.
Baby boomers, sometimes derided for their coupon-clipping habits, actually lag behind their younger counterparts on this matter, with 62 per cent of coffee drinkers aged 55 and over joining their favourite shop's loyalty program. The proportion is higher for those aged 35 to 54 (65 per cent) and those aged 18 to 34 (70 per cent).
Starbucks has had an impressively successful loyalty program for years, so it is not surprising to see 77 per cent of their visitors saying they get "stars" for their purchases in a card or app. The Tim Hortons rewards program was just launched in late March, but we already see 65 per cent of their faithful visitors enrolled.
Still, the numbers suggest that more than a third of coffee-drinking British Columbians are not taking advantage of the opportunity to get free stuff at the places they visit. At a time when discussions about gas prices and taxes are incessant, pinching every penny seems wise. British Columbians who like, love or need caffeine outside of their home could enjoy some benefits by swiping a card or paying with an app.
