Photo: WBZ NewsRadio Archive
PLYMOUTH, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Waking up in the morning just got a bit harder for some habitual coffee drinkers.
According to a new Consumer Price Index report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for coffee have jumped 21% compared to this time last year.
However, that’s not stopping some loyal coffee drinkers in Plymouth.
“I have to have coffee,” one customer told WBZ NewsRadio. “I can’t function without it. You’re expected to pay more for a good cup of coffee.”
Average coffee prices rose from $6.31 in 2024 to $8.87 at the end of July this year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.
“I know we could probably just make it at home, [but] I don’t think I make it as good as the coffee shops so that’s why,” another local resident said.
Why are coffee prices going up?
Over 99% of all coffee beans in the United States are imported from other countries, with Brazil being the top supplier at nearly 32%.
The country has seen a slower production and growing season for the last couple years. That’s on top of the current 50% tariffs levied by the Trump administration, which all are factors to the rising consumer cost.
Major coffee corporations also rely on importing coffee, with Starbucks being the number one coffee importer in the country.
For some South Shore residents, it’s a habit that’ll be hard to shake off.
“It’s part of my routine, honestly,” one Starbucks customer said.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Jim MacKay (@JimMacKayOnAir) reports.