During a conference on 9/9, organized by iPOS, a platform providing management solutions for over 100,000 restaurant and coffee shop businesses, Nguyen Do Anh Quan, Brand Director, stated that the frequency of coffee and milk tea consumption among Vietnamese consumers is becoming more consistent, and spending levels are also increasing. The previous logic of "the more you drink, the cheaper the beverage should be" is gradually changing.

"Customers are not afraid of price increases; they will spend money on products with value and their preferred brands," he said.

Customers enjoy drinks at a coffee shop in Binh Thanh District, TP HCM. Photo: Ngoc Ngan

Mr. Quan's assessment is based on a market report for the first half of the year, conducted with nearly 1,000 respondents across 15 provinces and cities, primarily in major urban centers like Hanoi, TP HCM, and Da Nang. The report indicates a significant increase in daily consumption, rising from 13,6% at the end of 2025 to 19,2%. This trend shows that for a segment of the population, coffee and milk tea have become an ingrained habit.

As consumption frequency grows, the budget allocated for beverage services has also expanded. The proportion of diners spending under 35,000 VND sharply decreased from 41,6% to 29,4%. Meanwhile, the 36,000-70,000 VND price range saw an increase from 48,3% to 61,8%, becoming the choice for the majority of the market.

Notably, the proportion of consumers choosing the 36,000-50,000 VND segment rose from 33,4% to 40,3%. According to iPOS, this price range sits between the budget and lower-mid-range segments. This indicates that as the general price level increases, a segment of consumers does not turn away but continues their consumption habits at a new spending tier.

The segment facing the most significant pressure is the 21,000-35,000 VND range, corresponding to budget-friendly beverages, as its selection rate dropped from 34,4% to 24,6%. Analysts suggest that models in this segment are caught between two extremes: they are not cheap enough to compete with kiosks in the economy segment (milk tea priced at 7,000-15,000 VND), yet they lack sufficient product quality, space, or service to ascend to the 36,000-70,000 VND range.

Conversely, the group spending over 70,000 VND also decreased from 10,1% to 8,8%. This data suggests that spending is not shifting towards the premium segment but primarily concentrating in the mid-range.

iPOS posits that customers regularly consuming coffee and milk tea with expanded budgets reflects the "water flows to the low ground" effect in the beverage market. Once a habit is formed with a particular brand, diners tend to return to their familiar choices rather than constantly experimenting with new venues. While coffee shops heavily investing in "check-in" spaces may attract initial visits, only a sufficiently good product and a consistently stable experience will foster repeat visits.

"This could be good news for several brands selling premium beverages, particularly Starbucks and Every Half, which are currently expanding their sales points in Hanoi, TP HCM, and other major cities," the analysis group stated.

The iPOS report reveals a trend: the more frequently customers drink, the less they chase low prices. Over 80% of daily coffee and milk tea drinkers choose to maintain their habits, upgrade to a more premium brand, or even purchase more than before. Among daily drinkers, approximately 17,3% are willing to spend over 70,000 VND per cup. These are core customers who have developed loyalty to a brand through familiar taste, convenient location, comfortable seating, and efficient service speed.

"They are not just buying a drink; they are also purchasing the stability of a habit. Therefore, saving an additional 10,000-15,000 VND is unlikely to be enough to make them change their choice," the analysis group commented.

Macroeconomic data, compiled by iPOS in collaboration with Nestle Professional, also confirms this trend. In the first half of 2026, the total revenue for Vietnam's F&B industry is estimated to reach 432,700 billion VND, compared to 406,100 billion VND during the same period last year. This 6,55% increase is slightly higher than the 5,5% growth rate recorded for the entire year of 2025.

However, iPOS suggests that several macroeconomic factors influence the industry's revenue, rather than solely purchasing power. First, the Lunar New Year fell in mid-February, meaning nearly the entire peak season was encompassed within the first half of the year. Additionally, according to an announcement from the General Statistics Office, the consumer price index (CPI) for the first half of the year increased by 4,38% compared to the same period last year.

Tat Dat