• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, October 18, 2010

According to Mintel research, a cup of coffee is a daily occurrence for 66% of Americans, but sales have been relatively unchanged in recent years. Demand for coffee is strong among those aged 45+, and over-55-year-olds are the fastest growing segment of coffee drinkers. In order to sustain long-term growth, says the report, marketers need to court their younger customers. The study found that while 40% of 18-24-year-olds believe coffee improves their concentration, only 27% drink coffee on a daily basis.

Bill Patterson, senior analyst at Mintel, notes that "Young adults are somewhat more likely than over-55s to associate negative health consequences with coffee consumption... understanding the choice between energy drinks and coffee needs significant marketing focus... "

Younger coffee drinkers also differ from their older counterparts in that they prefer sweetened coffee drinks to plain coffee... 40% of 18-24-year-olds say so, compared to only 22% of 45-54-year-olds. Furthermore, just 28% of 18-24-year olds like the taste of coffee on its own, compared to 53% of 45-54-year-olds.

 The younger demographic often prefer to visit cafes for their caffeine fix, says the report. And, 22% of 18-24-year-olds like to have a cup of coffee on hand when they're running errands, while 46% say they like to relax with a cup of coffee.

  For more on this study , please visit Mintel here.