How Coffee Beat Soda

January 19, 2013 in Daily Bulletin

Ten years ago Americans drank half a liter of sodas like Coke and Sprite every day writes Derek Thompson. Since then though a drink that can be just as sugary but without the association with adolescence has become the American drink of choice:

  • In 2003 Americans spent $4 on soda for every $1 that they spend on coffee.
  • Since then soda revenue has fallen 40% while coffee revenue has increased 50%.
  • This may be because sodas have become linked with bad health while coffee has no such stigma attached.
  • Bottled water, sports drinks, and energy drinks have also benefited from soda’s association with bad health.
  • There has been a rise of coffee culture as evidenced by the spread of chains such as Starbucks. Younger consumers especially seem to buy into this culture.

Read the full piece here to see a graph that shows the rise of coffee and the decline of soda, and find out the effect that coffee prices have had.

Source: The Atlantic