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Franke Coffee Systems discusses 2023 industry trends

Franke Coffee Systems

Franke Coffee Systems discusses what developments are in store for the international coffee industry in 2023, and how its product range can best meet market needs. 

Despite a strong return of coffee consumption in the Hotel, Restaurant and Catering industry (HoReCa) and in-person socialising after two turbulent years during the global pandemic, many consumers have retained their new at-home routines.

While many still enjoy the coffee shop experience, Franke Coffee Systems CEO, Marco Zancolò, says customer expectations on personalised beverages and coffee quality has increased.

“People prepare high-quality coffee at home, and this impacts how consumers now understand and value coffee. That means they are looking for convenient, high quality coffee experiences in every location out of home,” Zancolò says.

As such, Jessica Zoehner, Head of Global Marketing at Franke Coffee Systems, anticipates quality coffee and customisation of beverages to be the biggest trends in 2023.

“We’ve watched personalisation of coffee drinks gain even more traction as consumers choose their favourite coffee shops based on their offering of coffee specialties, such as dairy alternatives or beverage flavourings during self-service operations,” says Zoehner.

“Consistency is another factor that will remain important, as consumers want their choice of beverage in the same quality [they experience from] their preferred café or coffee chain, regardless of whether they buy coffee in Zürich or London.”

Zoehner also expects to see a rise in demand for cold brew coffee, plant-based milk alternatives, and self-service.

“If café operators know their customers’ needs and demands, they will have an advantage. Especially if they can act on trends and demands swiftly and creatively,” she says.

“New menu ideas and recipes paired with a self-service machine that is easy to use can be a real advantage, as consumers want their personalised coffee beverage fast and conveniently. Once they’ve found what they’re looking for in a café, they will come back for more.”

Already, Zoehner says, in most regions globally, coffee consumption in HoReCa industry is back to pre-pandemic levels, judging by the volume of machines sold in 2022.

However, she says inflation and staff shortages are likely to continue hampering the hospitality sector in the new year.

“The decrease in consumer purchasing power will certainly have an impact during 2023. A segment of consumers will likely enjoy coffee more consciously, more like a treat, a luxury,” Zoehner says.

“That group of consumers will be even more keen to purchase their coffee at cafés which offer their personal beverage choice.”

Zoehner says the personnel shortage will create challenges for operators, like how to sustain a high-quality beverage level without compromising on speed or variety.

“Cafés also face a higher demand for digital ordering. Consumers would much rather order digitally than wait in a queue for a coffee, only to receive an incorrect beverage,” she says.

CEO of Franke Coffee Systems Zancolò adds that the market is becoming more competitive as petrol stations and convenience stores now also offer specialty coffee.

“This will further increase the consumer expectation of quality coffee to be available everywhere,” he says.

To help cater to such market needs and consumption trends in 2023, Franke Coffee Systems will be focused on producing equipment that delivers personalised options, requires minimal training, and a quality output.

“The rising consumer demands are a great opportunity for us to win over even more customers to invest in state-of-the-art fully automatic coffee solutions,” Zoehner says.

“The increased consumer expectations on both coffee quality and all-time availability match well with Franke`s mission to offer consistently high quality, personalised coffee moments, both for our customers that offer the coffee and for their customers.”

Zancolò says the machine manufacturer provides a solution to staff shortages with its A line of fully automatic machines.

“With the same ease of use and barista- quality coffee, the A line range enables customers to switch from one machine to another, without having to re-train staff,” he says.

“We design our products with our customers in mind, so we made them easy to use, clean and maintain without compromising on quality or variety. All of this will help our customers to overcome the challenges of today, and tomorrow,” says Zancolò.

Zancolò adds that Franke Coffee Systems meets customer demand by listening to and observing the market and its customers, developing innovations based on customer feedback, and new products in line with the latest trends.

“In the last few years, we have invested heavily in how to offer even more beverage variety. Our solution to this demand is the Specialty Beverage Station (Franke SB1200), the only fully automatic machine in the market today that can produce purely vegan coffee-based beverages with plant-based milk,” he says.

“We focus on fully automatic machines and bring out the best of this category, not only in coffee beverages, but also when you look at the design and ease of use of our products.”

Zancolò says a key pillar of Franke is, and will always be, its products, investing in sales and marketing to ensure its product range is in the minds and hands of consumers. As such, it has recently opened offices in China and Japan to further invest in growing its market presence and being closer to customers and market trends there.

“The launch of our new branding is also intended to strengthen our focus on customers and enhance their coffee experience. That’s why we invest in market research and intelligence, because we believe being close to the market and consumer trends will make us a better partner for our customers. For us, that is the key to success,” Zancolò says.

For more information, visit coffee.franke.com

This article was first published in the January/February 2023 edition of Global Coffee Report.

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