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OCS U P D A T E Survey: consumers value coffee at work C offee at work remains an important benefi t to consum- ers at work. This was one of the fi ndings of an extensive consumer survey reported at the recent National Automatic Mer- chandising Association (NAMA) OneShow at McCormick Place North in Chicago, Ill. NAMA hired Healy & Schulte, a Chicago public rela- tions and marketing fi rm, to survey consumers on their perceptions of vending. The survey was designed to measure consumer attitudes about vending and identify growth opportuni- ties. The study was the fi rst con- sumer survey NAMA sponsored since 2006. The new survey found that most coffee is consumed at home; only 20 percent of consumers’ daily coffee comes from a free coffeemaker or coffee vending machine at work. However, 60 percent of employed coffee drinkers view free coffee as an employee benefi t, the survey found. In addition, “Generation Y” coffee drinkers, those aged 18 to 27, are more likely than other consumers to try a coffee vending machine; 60 percent of Gen Y coffee drinkers said they would buy less from specialty coffee stores if vended coffee tasted better. The study found consumers overall regarded coffee service coffee as being fresher than vended coffee. 8 ALL CONSUMERS: GET DAILY COFFEE AT WORK FROM FREE COFFEEMAKER OR VENDING MACHINE No 20% 80% Yes The recent NAMA consumer survey confi rms coffee is seen as an employee benefi t when offered in the workplace. percent of baby boomers and 55 percent of Gen Yers. Gen Y consumers have a more favorable view of vended coffee than other consumers: 41 percent of Gen Y drinkers said vended coffee is fresh compared to 29 percent of baby boomers. About half of all consumers said ALL CONSUMERS: VIEW FREE COFFEE AS AN EMPLOYEE BENEFIT No 40% 60% Yes they would pay for coffee provided by an employer if it was less expen- sive than coffee in specialty stores. Most of the study addressed consumer perceptions of vending overall. GENERATION Y: WOULD BUY LESS FROM SPECIALTY SHOPS IF VENDED COFFEE TASTED BETTER No 40% 60% Yes The study noted the dispropor- tionately high image vending has among Gen Y consumers. This fi nding was the basis of NAMA’s new industry growth campaign announced at the 2011 NAMA OneShow in Chicago. In general, the study found that Gen Y consumers choose vending over convenience stores, grocery stores and drug stores for buying a snack or cold beverage if all were equidistant. Nonetheless, a perception does When asked if they consider coffee provided by an employer as fresh, 69 percent of Gen Xers (those born between 1965 and 1976) said yes, compared to 61 Automatic Merchandiser VendingMarketWatch.com August 2011 exist that vend products are not a good value for the money. The study found that more than half of non-users and a third of users believe this. Hence, the indus- try must address the belief that products in vending machines are more expensive than in other retail channels. VendingMarketWatch fi rst reported on the NAMA survey the week after the NAMA One- Show in late April.