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More People Need Coffee to Survive, But Coffee Shops Are on the Brink

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, "There used to be a sense of superiority called: I go to coffee shops to drink coffee." A friend recently brought up this topic. "In the era when specialty coffee wasn't yet popular in our country (actually not that long ago, just before 2015), going to a coffee shop was almost always filled with ritual. Put on exquisite and beautiful clothes, apply beautiful makeup

"There used to be a sense of superiority in going to a coffee shop." A friend recently brought up this topic.

"In the era before specialty coffee became popular in China (not too long ago, before 2015), going to a coffee shop was almost always filled with ritual. You'd wear exquisite clothes, put on beautiful makeup, and wear delicate jewelry... Before entering the coffee shop, you'd take a deep breath, control your posture and pace, and inject some elegance into your clumsy movements."

Back then, not everyone knew why they drank coffee, but everyone shared the same view: it made them different... Especially when going to Starbucks, everyone would definitely take a photo before drinking their coffee!

They'd post it on social media to subtly "showcase" their "luxurious lifestyle" (Starbucks was really expensive back then! The prices 8-9 years ago were similar to today's). Therefore, even if they didn't fully understand coffee, everyone who went to coffee shops had their own unique reasons."

"But now, when friends invite me to a coffee shop, I feel completely indifferent, and I even want to tell them: How about I make coffee for you instead! Unfortunately, my home is messy, so I'm too embarrassed to have guests over.

Coffee shops, for me, have become just a place to chat, losing that former sense of superiority, because coffee has become so much a part of daily life. What I need now is the coffee itself to keep me energized, not the need to check in at coffee shops to showcase my rich life."

The Evolution of Coffee Consumption

When people no longer make special trips to coffee shops, it proves that coffee has truly integrated into their lives. The supporting role retreats to the background, and the protagonist rises gradually. Each evolutionary stage of coffee represents a "reshuffle" and "evolution" in public consumption patterns. Only when coffee demand returns to its essence can the market further expand. Coffee consumption grows at an average annual rate of 15%, and coffee shops are no longer the main drivers of consumption volume.

Being able to drink coffee anytime and anywhere, at low and affordable prices, with acceptable taste, has become the reason for mass consumers to choose coffee.

The Rise of Home Coffee Consumption

With the rapid development of domestic e-commerce and food delivery industries, fewer people are revolving around coffee shops. Those who make special trips to coffee shops have decreased, while more hope to enjoy a cup anytime without leaving their homes. Freeze-dried (instant) coffee, ready-to-drink coffee liquids, and hang-drip coffee bags have become mainstream in coffee sales, especially freeze-dried (instant) coffee, which accounts for nearly 70% of the Chinese coffee market.

Under the impact of the pandemic, the closure rate of physical coffee shops reached over 80%. Although coffee shops continue to open continuously, few actually rely on selling coffee, and coffee prices have risen with various cost increases.

Going to a coffee shop for a cup of coffee is so expensive! But we still need caffeine... So consumers began to develop the idea of making it themselves and started ordering coffee on various e-commerce platforms.

With live-stream e-commerce and various promotional offers, coffee prices have continuously reached new "lows" - nothing you can't imagine, no price that can't be reached. (Of course, coffee itself still requires certain costs, so I suggest being cautious when ordering coffee that seems excessively cheap).

Beyond the competition in e-commerce, food delivery has also become fiercely competitive. Opening a food delivery app, you'll find a dazzling array of coffee brands, with various merchant discounts plus coupon support, making a delivered coffee cheaper than drinking in-store, without needing to visit the shop specifically. Such affordable, anytime, anywhere coffee is simply a "gospel" for office workers.

Personal Reflections on Coffee Culture

(Continuing the friend's conversation) "Looking back now, I really think I was generous when I spent tens of yuan on coffee at coffee shops. Back then, I thought this could make me look like a 'rich person,' and that didn't seem wrong, haha.

But now, even though my financial ability has improved, I don't often think about going to coffee shops for a cup anymore. One reason is I don't think it's worth it because the quality of coffee varies; another is that my wish is to spend about ten yuan to drink a cup of coffee anytime, anywhere, so I choose to buy equipment and make it myself."

(Just kidding, haha)

Many people think that drinking coffee from Luckin and similar brands isn't real coffee! Why isn't it coffee? Although the quality isn't refined, it's not undrinkable, and the price is very practical. Who would wait until tomorrow to take advantage of a good deal, haha~ But I don't buy it often, only when I don't have time or when I'm passing by.

I personally prefer pour-over coffee, so I bought a set of equipment and make myself 1-2 cups every day. Although the equipment doesn't look cheap, with daily use and the cost of coffee beans, a regular pour-over costs less than ten yuan, and even Geisha coffee is only about twenty yuan... Making it myself is really worthwhile!

When making coffee myself, I do whatever feels comfortable. I won't spend a lot on very professional equipment - an ordinary kettle, an ordinary grinder, an ordinary dripper. As long as it can support my late-night work/relieve my morning grogginess, making coffee really doesn't need to be so professional. If I think it's okay, then it's okay.

Making coffee is actually a very daily thing, with no particular technical skills required. It's just that people see it as too complicated, which is why they think it's something that only requires specific expertise and certain people can do it well."

The Future of Coffee Consumption

What coffee you drink doesn't depend on coffee shops but is determined by the coffee drinker. The discourse power in the coffee industry will ultimately return to the hands of mass consumers. A cup of coffee that can refresh you, tastes acceptable, and is affordable is the mass market's choice for coffee consumption.

No matter how "competitive" capital becomes or how "impressive" technology gets, if it can't maintain stable low prices for coffee and ensure consistent quality for every cup, consumers will eventually change their consumption direction. After all, making a cup of coffee isn't difficult. Doing it yourself saves money and allows you to drink it anytime - who wouldn't be tempted by that?

Image source: Internet

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