The coffee capsules consumption practice

Abstract

Changes in consumer behavior and his constant search for convenience and practicality in products and services stimulated the demand for coffee capsules, a fast growing market in Brazil. However, little is known about consumer behavior and preferences regarding this product, motivating this study. Our aim was to understand the coffee capsules consumption through the lens of the Theory of Practice, in order to analyze the specificities that structure this market and guide the behavior of its consumers. Through a qualitative and descriptive study, supported by the conduction of semi-structured interviews and participant observation in virtual groups of these product’s consumers, we found that the consumption of encapsulated coffees is conditioned to the disposition of time and company of the interviewees and that the product’s quality perception is still low. In addition, there is great resistance to the acquisition and consumption of generic capsules.