High-end, fair-trade, organic coffee beans might seem to be the only kind of coffee people drink now, but it turns out that the most popular coffee brands in America aren’t really all that special.
When it comes to brute sales dominance, it’s price and convenience that win out, according to the Washington Post.
Keurig Green Mountain (GMCR) controls about 20% of the U.S. coffee retail market, thanks to its convenient coffee pods. Sales of coffee pods have grown tenfold since 2009. The runner-up, Folger’s (SJM), is known for selling huge cartons of pre-ground coffee beans. And while Starbucks (SBUX) sells high-end coffee, the fourth and fifth most popular coffee brands aren’t particularly fancy, either.
So while high-end brands such as Stumptown and Intelligentsia may be getting all the attention for revolutionizing coffee, it’s cheaper brands that are making the most money. Check out the 5 top-selling coffee brands in the chart below.
