Coffee consumption and purchasing behaviour across generations: insights from a Mediterranean coffee culture

Purpose. This study aims to examine differences in coffee purchasing and consumption behaviour across four generational cohorts (Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z) in Northern Cyprus, a Mediterranean coffee culture. Methodology. A quantitative survey used a structured online questionnaire distributed through purposive sampling between April and June 2025. A total of 649 valid responses from coffee consumers were obtained and analysed. Respondents were classified a priori into four generational cohorts according to established birth-year ranges. Exploratory factor analysis with Varimax rotation was used to identify underlying coffee-consumption motivation dimensions, while one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s HSD and chi-square tests were used to examine differences in coffee-related behaviour and socio-demographic characteristics across the cohorts. Results. The analysis identified four coffee-consumption motivation dimensions: physical and mental stimulation, sensory and habitual motives, cultural heritage, and socialisation. Significant generational differences emerged in several aspects of coffee behaviour, including motivations, preferred coffee types, selected product attributes, information sources, consumption occasions, daily consumption, weekly expenditure, and purchasing outlets. Baby Boomers and Generation X showed stronger orientations towards sensory and habitual consumption, cultural heritage, and Turkish coffee, whereas Millennials and Generation Z showed broader preferences across contemporary coffee formats. Millennials were more strongly represented in the higher daily-consumption and weekly-expenditure categories, while Generation Z showed lower overall consumption and greater use of contemporary information and purchasing channels. Originality. The study contributes to consumer-behaviour research by providing an integrated comparison of generational differences across multiple dimensions of coffee consumption, and purchasing behaviour within a Mediterranean coffee culture. Rather than focusing on a single coffee preference or consumption measure, the study considers motivations, preferences, information sources, consumption occasions, intensity and purchasing behaviour within the same empirical context. Practical implications. The results suggest that coffee businesses operating in Northern Cyprus and comparable markets may benefit from combining cultural continuity with product diversification. The continued importance of Turkish coffee among older cohorts alongside interest in contemporary coffee formats among younger cohorts indicates that traditional and modern coffee offerings can coexist within the same market. This study enables marketers to better understand generational groups of coffee customers and design more targeted marketing strategies in the region.