Press release - 12 February 2014 13:27

RESEARCH REVEALS BRITS ARE DITCHING COSMOS FOR CAPPUCCINOS ON A FIRST DATE

RESEARCH REVEALS BRITS ARE DITCHING COSMOS FOR CAPPUCCINOS ON A FIRST DATE

Research reveals that Brits are now ditching Cosmos for Cappuccinos as over a third (36%) would prefer to go to a coffee shop on a first date…

Ian Coldrake and Sarah Jones from Milton Keynes had their first date at Costa – and with a shared passion for Costa coffee, they decided that only a Costa Raspberry and Almond Bake wedding cake would do for their Big Day this June

Having enjoyed one of their first dates in Costa, the UK’s favourite coffee shop, Ian Coldrake and Sarah Jones from Milton Keynes have commissioned a bespoke Raspberry and Almond Bake wedding cake – the world’s first ever three-tiered Costa wedding cake!

With Sarah and Ian finding love in their favourite coffee shop and Valentine’s Day just around the corner, research by Costa has revealed that over a third of dating Brits are ditching the traditional bar meet-ups with potential love interests. In fact, according to the research revealed today, over a fifth (21%) of Brits believe the best place to bag Mr or Mrs Right is a coffee shop and over a third (36%) would prefer to go to a coffee shop for a first date.

As well as Brits choosing to get frothy over a Cappuccino rather than a Cosmo, a staggering 80% of dating Brits would now either expect to pay on a first date, or split the tab, although over three quarters of men (83%) still believe they should pick up the bill. The recession has also impacted spending habits on dates, with over a fifth of men and women (22%) admitting to spending less because money is tight.

Research also uncovered thatLondoners are the biggest daters, with nearly half (41%) going on a date at least once a week, in comparison to just under a quarter of people (21%) in the South East.

Moreover, the research findings suggest that romance may be falling by the wayside as one in ten over 55s admit to never paying their partner a compliment, whilst more than half of 18 – 24 years claim to compliment their partner daily.

Kevin Hydes, UK Retail Marketing Director from Costa said: “We’d firstly like to offer our congratulations to Ian and Sarah! We were really touched to hear how they shared one of their first dates in Costa, not to mention asking us to help them create their dream wedding cake inspired by our very own Raspberry and Almond Bake. We weren’t surprised to hear that more people are choosing to meet potential love interests in a coffee shop. At Costa, we ensure customers have the best experience possible; our stores offer a relaxed and friendly environment, perfect for a first date!”

* Redshift Research of 2,000 interviewees, February 2014

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About Costa

Costa is the UK’s favourite coffee shop, having been awarded “Best Branded Coffee Shop Chain in the UK and Ireland" by Allegra Strategies for four years running (2010, 2011, 2012 & November 2013).

Winner of “Best Branded Coffee Chain in Europe” Allegra Strategies 2011, 2012 and 2013.

With over 1,600 coffee shops in the UK and more than 1,000 overseas, Costa is the fastest growing coffee shop business in the UK and the second largest coffee shop operator in the world. Founded in London by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa in 1971, Costa has become the UK’s favourite coffee shop chain and has recently diversified into both the at-home and gourmet self-serve markets.

Costa employs over 11,000 people and is creating around 1,500 jobs this year and over 4,500 jobs in the next 3 years in the UK

Costa is committed to looking after coffee-growers. That's why we've established The Costa Foundation, a registered charity. The Costa Foundation's aims are to relieve poverty, advance education and the health and environment of coffee-growing communities around the world. So far, The Costa Foundation has funded the building of 42 schools and improved the social and economic welfare of coffee-growing communities.