KATHMANDU, Dec 11: Amid soaring international price and increasing domestic demand, price of imported coffee has shot up by around 20 percent this winter. Nescafe, Jacobs, Khao Shong, Aveon, Jalp Gold and Mac coffee brands are becoming popular among coffee lovers in the Kathmandu valley.
Nescafe, which comes to Nepal from India, is available in the range of Rs 120 to Rs 1,240 per packet of 25 grams to 500 grams whereas the same was available for Rs 100 to Rs 1,240 last year. Aveon, also imported from India, is available for Rs 232 for 500-gram packet. This was available for Rs 225 last winter.[break]
Germany-made Jacobs coffee is priced Rs 950 per 500-gram packet against Rs 800 earlier. Thai brand Khao Shong coffee is available for Rs 438 per 25-gram packet. This was earlier available for Rs 350. Mac, which is imported from Singapore, is selling for Rs 496 per 25-gram packet against Rs 400 earlier.
Despite the rise in price, departmental stores in the capital have witnessed a 20 percent rise in the sale of imported coffee compared to last winter. Binod Maharjan, sales executive at Bigmart Departmental Store at City Center, said strengthening coffee culture among the new generation of Nepalis has driven up coffee sales. “Increasing number of coffee lovers helped to push up the coffee sales,” said Maharjan. He said among the varieties of coffee, Nescafe is leading in sales.
“Sale of coffee increased by around 20 percent compared to the last winter,” said Uma Rai, sales executive at Bhat-Bhateni Departmental Store at Maharajgunj. According to leading departmental stores in the valley, coffee sales account for around five percent of total sales, up from nominal sales only a few years back.