Coffee pod sales set to beat instant: 'Clooney effect' sparks boom despite them costing up to 15 times more a cup than instant 

  • Typical ten-pack costs £3 compared to 2p a cup for instant
  • Capsule sales have soared by 30% in 12 months to £137.5m

Sales of coffee pods are set to overtake those of instant and ground versions after a boom sparked, in part, by the 'Clooney Effect'.

Nespresso, the biggest seller in the market, is advertised by Hollywood star George Clooney – which has given the capsules a more upmarket and glamorous image.

It has helped send sales soaring despite pods costing up to fifteen times as much as a cup of instant.

Booming: Sales of coffee pods are set to overtake that of instant despite them costing up to 15 times more

Booming: Sales of coffee pods are set to overtake that of instant despite them costing up to 15 times more

A typical ten-pack of pods costs £3 – 30p a cup – while a spoon from a jar of basic instant costs about 2p a cup.

Capsules made by brands such as Nespresso, Tassimo and Dolce Gusto now account for £137.5million of sales a year, a massive 30 per cent increase in the 12 months to the end of May.

During the same period, sales of roast and ground varieties rose by only 2.5 per cent to £167million, according to industry analysts Kantar Worldpanel for trade publication The Grocer.

Pods are also set to be boosted with news that Starbucks is to bring out its own version for in-home drinking, compatible with Nespresso machines, the biggest sellers in the market.

Star appeal: George Clooney's promotion of Nespresso is thought to be one of the reasons that sales of capsules have soared

Star appeal: George Clooney's promotion of Nespresso is thought to be one of the reasons that sales of capsules have soared

The Grocer said: 'Sales of pods look set to pass roast and ground coffee within months.

'Pods carry a hefty premium over other types of coffee but only one in seven households are currently buying them, so there remains considerable room for growth.' 

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