Behind the scenes

More Robusta, less Arabica: Switzerland’s developing a taste for coffee blends

10.9.2025

Translation: Katherine Martin

An increasing number of coffee drinkers are buying blends made from Arabica and Robusta beans on Galaxus. While single-origin Arabica packs accounted for 80 per cent of sales in 2020, this year has seen the figure drop to 60 per cent. Changing prices partly explain the trend, but they don’t tell the whole story.

People buying coffee in Switzerland these days are now less likely to go for single-origin varieties such as Arabica, and are increasingly turning to blends featuring Robusta. Sales of pure Arabica packs on Galaxus have fallen from 80 to 60 per cent, while blend sales have risen from 20 to 38 per cent. «This could be down to commodity prices. Pure Arabica beans might be too expensive for some people. Mixing them with Robusta beans doesn’t negatively impact taste, which has made blends a popular alternative,» says Senior Category Business Manager Yuki Gasienica, whose remit includes the Galaxus coffee range.

Alongside price, taste and availability have also factored into blends getting their big break. Arabica is considered to be more delicate, more aromatic and more acidic, but the plant the beans come from is fragile during the farming process. Not only does it need to be grown at higher altitudes, but it’s also more prone to diseases and climatic stress. Robusta plants, on the other hand, are more resistant, produce a higher yield and are cheaper. According to Methodicalcoffee.com, Robusta also gives your cup of coffee more body, more bitterness and a higher caffeine content. Blends combine the strengths of both bean varieties, creating a balanced, strong coffee with a decent layer of crema. In other words, exactly what people appreciate in their espresso or cappuccino. «We’re seeing that a growing espresso culture is fuelling the shift towards blends,» says Yuki Gasienica. Climate change is also inflating Robusta’s importance on the global stage, as the plants are better able to withstand heat and disease. Many roasters are responding to this, converting their operations to be less dependent on Arabica.

Coffee beans are produced in different strengths. This intensity mostly varies as a result of the roasting process – dark roast is stronger, light roast is milder. Another deciding factor in this is the type of bean or blend. Robusta contains more caffeine and tastes stronger, while Arabica is milder and more delicate. The thickness of the coffee grounds and the quantity used in making the coffee also influence the drink’s intensity.

Prices and sales records

Headlines such as «Coffee theft on the rise» and «Supermarkets are locking away coffee» have started to pop up in Germany, where a pound of instant coffee has doubled in price compared to five years ago (linked video and article in German). Coffee prices are also on the rise in Switzerland, where analysis (in German) by Comparis and NZZ has revealed the product to be 24 per cent more expensive than it was in 2021. The reasons? Firstly, people around the world are drinking more espresso, Americano and cappuccino. Secondly, more frequent droughts, heat waves and heavy rainfall mean that coffee bean harvests are worse than they were in the past, as (supermarket chain Migros has pointed out).

Yuki Gasienica says: «The commodity price of coffee beans has been soaring for years. Many brands have increased their prices in recent years, in some cases multiple times.» With this in mind, it’s obvious why a latte macchiato in Zurich’s Seefeld district now costs eight francs.

Coffee beans

CHF36.90 CHF36.90/1kg

Vicafe House Mix

1000 g, Medium roast

Stoll Kaffee Napoli (1000 g, Dark roast)

Coffee beans

CHF27.90 CHF27.90/1kg

Stoll Kaffee Napoli

1000 g, Dark roast

Coffee beans

CHF16.70 CHF16.70/1kg

Caffè Borbone Espresso Intenso

1000 g, Dark roast

Coffee beans

CHF36.90 CHF36.90/1kg

Vicafe House Mix

Coffee beans

CHF27.90 CHF27.90/1kg

Stoll Kaffee Napoli

Coffee beans

CHF16.70 CHF16.70/1kg

Caffè Borbone Espresso Intenso

Even so, packs of coffee are still flying off the shelves. In fact, Galaxus customers have added coffee beans to their shopping baskets 55 per cent more often this year than in the same period in 2024. Sales of instant- and ground coffee have even shot up by over 60 per cent. Coffee capsules, Galaxus’s top-selling coffee product, are also 36 per cent more popular than they were last year. With Galaxus’s coffee range having already exploded in popularity during the pandemic, the online coffee trade is now well established. «We’re also selling a higher quantity of special, bumper-sized packs targeted at online shops, which contain more than 100 capsules. You won’t find those at your local supermarket,» Yuki says.

What kind of coffee do you prefer? Bean, powder, instant, capsule or pod? How important is price in your book?

Header image: Volha van Meer / Istockphoto

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Daniel Borchers

Senior Communications Manager

Daniel.Borchers@galaxus.de

A soft spot for good series, loud music, science fiction and (second division) football. As PR Manager, I am available to answer journalists' questions about Galaxus and honest e-commerce.

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