Predicting the future of coffee consumption

Tetra Pak looks to the future of coffee consumption and how younger generations are mixing up their morning caffeine.

While traditional coffee lovers may prefer their espresso rituals, a new wave of consumption is emerging.

Giancarlos LaRocca, Marketing Director for Oceania at Tetra Pak, has seen the future. He’s looking beyond the café, past the customer nursing their espresso, to the younger, active consumer wanting convenience, new flavours, and options more compatible with their lifestyle.

For Giancarlos, that shift is being driven by ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee – in some cases chilled and blended with new functional ingredients such as protein and even collagen.

But he wants to reassure the flat white drinker, and the café teams serving them across Australia and New Zealand, that this isn’t about replacing the coffee experience people love. It’s about expanding it. 

“We see a rising interest in things like signature drinks and RTD coffee,” he says. “It’s no longer just lattes, flat whites, and espressos. Consumers are increasingly seeking variety, not to replace cafés, but to complement and extend the coffee experience. It’s about expanding that experience for consumers and keeping that consumption of coffee going.”

Globally, RTD coffee is expected to grow by more than AU$14 billion in value by 2027 – with Australia leading growth in Oceania at a healthy 2.8 per cent CAGR according to Tetra Pak’s own data. It’s a clear signal: the shift is happening and the opportunity is real.

Giancarlos, who took on the marketing role in Australia just over a year ago, has of experience across Tetra Pak and the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector to back that call.

During the past decade, he’s worked in various parts of the world in business and marketing sectors but has also drawn on his engineering background to help gain an understanding of trends in FMCG, including coffee.

He says Tetra Pak’s analysis is backed by the company’s global scope and its eyes in markets around the world.

“Having that full view of what’s happening somewhere else, markets that are maybe a little bit behind or ahead, it’s definitely very important for us locally,” he says. 

That view is highlighting a move towards more convenience and mobility, says Giancarlos. He believes Australia is well placed to capitalise on those opportunities.

“We have a strong coffee culture in Australia, which we’re proud of. I haven’t seen that so broadly in other countries,” he says.

“We see RTD coffee as a way to expand and keep that going for coffee lovers and others, because it might be new people joining the category.”

Those new people are keen on new experiences and options.

“RTD coffee is one of those,” he says. “Anything from protein, which is probably the most famous example so far, is being added into coffee to make it more functional, delicious, and convenient. Collagen is another ingredient we’re seeing a lot of buzz around.”

He sees a clear split in the RTD coffee category between ambient and chilled, including grab-and-go portion packs and multi-serve formats.

While chilled products dominate today’s shelves, Giancarlos believes there’s untapped potential in ambient formats, especially in Oceania with opportunities also extending to sustainability and supporting the environment, which is increasingly important for both business and customer.

“With vast distances across the Oceania region, ambient formats offer a practical and sustainable solution by reducing the need for chilled transport and energy-intensive storage,” he says.

“All of this not only makes RTD coffee more accessible beyond where it’s produced, it also makes it more appealing to today’s conscious consumers.”

Tetra Pak’s processes are designed to maximise the shelf life of those products by utilising its technology and packaging, rather than additives and preservatives.

“That’s one misconception that I need to clarify, because sometimes consumers may believe there’s something added into the product to make it last so long,” he says.

“The truth is, there are no preservatives or additives added. It’s all about two things: the processing it goes through – how you brew the coffee or treat it – and the right packaging. We use ultra-high temperature (UHT) processing to safely eliminate microorganisms, ensuring product safety without the need for preservatives.

“What’s more, the packaging must be strong, durable, and robust to ensure complete food safety. So, it’s the mix of those two things.”

Tetra Pak can offer more than just packaging for those wanting to expand into RTD coffee and new options, according to Giancarlos.

He says Tetra Pak, a global leader in food processing and packaging solutions, is eager to support businesses across Australia and New Zealand by sharing its expertise to help design, create, and deliver what he sees as the future of coffee. Whether that’s through end-to-end solutions or strategic collaboration.

“We have experience and learnings from different categories – milk, plant-based, coffee, high-protein drinks, and so on,” he says. 

“We invest a lot in consumer research as well as the formulation of recipes and development. We have a big team of food scientists who can support with that. This goes all the way to how consumers drink from the packaging, such as the size of the cap, so the liquid goes smoothly into the mouth, and they get the full exposure of taste. 

“This also includes how big the packaging is, so it can be easily placed in a backpack on the go. There are so many aspects to be considered.”

He says Tetra Pak can support with what’s inside the packaging as well.

“We have different Customer Innovation Centres and Product Development Centres around the world where we can actually try different formulations and recipes and make those work for a more large-scale production,” he says.

As well as end-to-end solutions, Tetra Pak can collaborate with other industry players and brands in developing, packaging, and distributing RTD beverages and new products. Giancarlos calls it a “win-win sustainable situation”. 

For more information, visit tetrapak.com/en-anz