Takeaway coffee sales plunge as fuel and living costs dent Australian spending. Is the economy next?

More than 50% of Australian consumers are cutting back on treats such as coffee and snacks, which are usually among the most resilient purchases, new research shows. Photograph: Wavebreakmedia Ltd UC61_62_63/Alamy

For many coffee drinkers, takeaway orders are changing from a habitual purchase to an occasional treat, as elevated petrol prices and other living costs leave households feeling glum.

This rapid shift in behaviour has disappointed cafe owners and surprised economists, raising an uneasy question: if takeaway coffee sales are falling, is the economy next?