TL;DR
A qualitative study of 23 people aged 18 to 27 in Slovenia found that participants generally supported sustainable coffee, but said price, convenience, taste and routine more often shaped what they bought. The author cautioned that the small focus-group sample cannot represent Gen Z consumers broadly.
A study of 23 coffee consumers and non-drinkers aged 18 to 27 in Slovenia found that young participants often approved of sustainable coffee but said convenience, price and routine played a larger role in their everyday purchases. Published July 27 in Frontiers in Sustainability, the qualitative research describes a gap between sustainability values and buying behavior, while its author cautions that the small sample is not statistically representative.
Polona Dakič of the Faculty of Management at the University of Primorska conducted three focus groups, grouping participants as heavy coffee users, casual users and non-drinkers. The discussions explored how participants understood sustainability in coffee and compared those views with their self-reported routines and purchasing decisions.
Participants generally expressed support for ethical sourcing, recyclable packaging, fair-trade certification and environmental responsibility. But those principles were rarely decisive at the point of purchase. The paper describes this as a “sustainability-convenience paradox”: consumers may value sustainability in principle while choosing based on speed, familiarity, comfort, social context or cost in daily situations.
Some participants also questioned coffee brands’ sustainability messages, suggesting that green labels could be performative rather than evidence of meaningful change. The research explored those perceptions; it did not independently assess the environmental or social impact of products or verify companies’ claims.
Why Daily Coffee Choices Prevail
The findings offer a small-scale account of why favorable attitudes toward sustainable products may not automatically translate into sales. For coffee businesses, the participants’ comments suggest that price, availability and fit with established routines can shape decisions alongside ethical preferences. The study does not test which interventions would change those choices, so it cannot show that lowering prices or changing labels would cause consumers to buy more sustainable coffee.
The skepticism voiced in the groups also points to a communications challenge: sustainability claims may carry less weight for some consumers if they doubt what a label represents. For readers, the distinction is practical. A stated preference for certified or ethically sourced coffee does not necessarily describe what someone buys when rushed, short of money or following a familiar routine.
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How This Fits Coffee Research
The Slovenian findings sit alongside earlier research on the difference between consumer attitudes and purchases. The report cites a recent study suggesting shoppers may be more likely to choose ethical coffee when its sticker price is unchanged, even if the package contains less coffee. That result points to price as one possible influence, but it does not establish how the Slovenian participants would respond.
A 2021 Mintel analysis found that the share of new coffee products carrying ethical or environmental claims had nearly doubled over roughly a decade. The analysis did not verify the claims or measure their outcomes. A broader review of coffee sustainability research, meanwhile, cited survey data suggesting that more than 60% of consumers in North America and Europe prefer certified coffee and that some are willing to pay more for traceable, single-origin products. Those populations and methods differ from Dakič’s small focus groups, so the figures should not be treated as directly comparable.
“I care about sustainability in theory, but honestly, when I’m stressed or late for class, I just buy whatever is fastest.”
— A student participant, as quoted in the study
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Limits of the Slovenian Sample
The study involved only 23 participants in Slovenia and used focus groups, so it was not designed to estimate how common these attitudes are among Gen Z as a whole. The findings cannot establish whether young consumers elsewhere behave similarly or quantify how much convenience, price or sustainability influences purchases.
The paper also did not verify the sustainability claims made by coffee brands or track participants’ actual transactions over time. It remains unclear whether participants’ reported preferences would translate into different purchases if sustainable options were more affordable or easier to access. Dakič reported receiving no financial support and declared no conflicts of interest.
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What Further Research Could Measure
The report does not identify a scheduled follow-up study or a next research milestone. Further work could test whether the patterns seen in the focus groups appear in larger and more varied populations, and compare reported attitudes with observed purchasing behavior. Researchers could also examine how price, convenience and the credibility of sustainability claims affect choices under real shopping conditions.
For now, the study provides a qualitative snapshot of young participants’ views in Slovenia. Its findings add to discussion of sustainable coffee purchasing, while leaving the scale and causes of the attitude-behavior gap open for further research.
Key Questions
What did the study find about young people and sustainable coffee?
Participants generally approved of sustainability ideas, but said price, speed, taste and routine more often shaped their everyday coffee purchases.
How many people took part?
The research used three focus groups with 23 participants aged 18 to 27 in Slovenia, divided into heavy coffee users, casual users and non-drinkers.
Does the study represent Gen Z consumers broadly?
No. The author said the small qualitative sample was not designed to be statistically generalizable, and the results do not establish how young consumers elsewhere behave.
Did the researchers verify coffee companies’ sustainability claims?
No. The study examined participants’ views, including skepticism about green marketing; it did not independently verify brands’ claims or measure their environmental outcomes.
Source: rss
