The Rise of Coffee Chains
By: Serkan Oral
The 21st century is the age of coffee chains more than any other. Coffee beans are becoming as valuable as gold. The sector continues its upward trend, driven by the rapid expansion of coffee chains worldwide.
Let’s talk numbers.
Between 2015 and 2024, global coffee imports reached a total of $370.3 billion. The United States accounted for $69.2 billion of this total, followed by Germany with $41.9 billion and France with $28.9 billion. Other major importers included Italy, Canada, Belgium, Spain, Japan, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, with their combined imports amounting to $238.5 billion. Altogether, the top 10 coffee importers represented 64.4% of the global market during the past decade.
There are also emerging markets on the rise.
Meanwhile, Brazil stood as the world’s largest coffee exporter, with exports over the past decade totaling $360.3 billion, followed by Switzerland with $28.7 billion and Colombia with $28.6 billion. Other significant exporters were Germany, Vietnam, Italy, Honduras, France, Belgium, and Indonesia.
Türkiye carries a dual identity in the global coffee story — as both the heir to the Ottoman coffee legacy and as a modern hub for new-generation coffee culture.
Türkiye’s coffee imports between 2015 and 2024 reached $2.7 billion, with prices for imported coffee rising from $153.4 million in 2015 to $497.1 million in 2024, marking an increase of 224%, according to the national statistical bureau TurkStat.
On the export side, Türkiye recorded $354.5 million worth of coffee exports over the last decade, including $55.6 million in the first half of this year alone.
Türkiye imported most of its coffee from Brazil, totaling $1.7 billion, followed by the Netherlands with $201.1 million, Italy with $100.5 million, Germany with $80.9 million, and Colombia with $79.9 million. The country’s imports stood at $472.5 million as of June, with Brazil remaining its top supplier.
The world’s coffee consumption — both hot and iced — over the past decade totaled $370.3 billion, according to data from the International Trade Center (ITC). The United States was the largest importer, while Brazil dominated exports.
Personally, I prefer iced coffee on summer afternoons, but I always start my day with a hot Turkish coffee. For Turks, the tradition of the 11 a.m. coffee break continues as a nationwide ritual. Around the world, specialty coffee is also gaining momentum, and habits are evolving quickly.
The golden era of coffee and coffee shops has already begun, spreading across continents. More lovely qahwa days are on the horizon.
