From Ethiopian Beans to South American Blends: Global Coffee Players Bet Bigger on China

From Ethiopian beans to South American blends, the global coffee industry is increasingly turning its attention to the Chinese market. As domestic demand keeps growing, more international coffee brands and supply chain companies are treating a presence in China as a fresh source of growth.

A shift in consumption habits

China's coffee market has expanded noticeably in recent years, with chain coffee shops multiplying quickly across first and second tier cities, while more affordable domestic brands have helped build coffee drinking habits in smaller cities too. Domestic growing regions led by Yunnan province have also been pushing to raise the quality and output of homegrown beans, gradually becoming a piece of the international coffee supply chain that is hard to ignore.

International brands step up their bets

Against that backdrop, green bean traders and roasting brands from major coffee growing regions such as Ethiopia and South America are moving faster to build a presence in China, both by opening their own stores and experience spaces and by forming sourcing partnerships with domestic supply chain companies. Industry participants say China's large base of young consumers and its fast changing coffee culture will keep making it one of the markets the global coffee industry competes hardest for in the years ahead.