Getting coffee at the office could be a major driving force precipitating the end of the WFH era,Bloomberg says. The allure of having caffeine on demand without paying for it is part of the equation, but the availability of coffee is about more than waking ourselves up and staying fueled throughout the day, the business information service suggests. After covid-19 dismantled life as we knew it, workers have found it increasingly appealing to share a cup of joe with colleagues and forge social connections in the workplace. As employees adjust to the hybrid work system after extended weeks and months of social isolation, mingling with peers over coffee is helping mend bonds and re-establish a pleasant and humane atmosphere at work. This pull comes as more major US corporations are signaling to their employees that the work from home era is coming to a close last week.

Offices are banking on the love of coffee as global consumption is on the rise: Green beans exports grew by 10.8% y-o-y to 9.2 mn bags last November, the article quotes the International Coffee Organization. And employers are aware of that: Attempts at boosting office morale can be seen as offices mimic the coffeeshop experience in-house.

ROI in a bottle: The champagne market is outperforming many traditional asset classes, including stocks and gold, Bloomberg reports. The London International Vintners Exchange (also known as Liv-Ex) initially saw champagne accounting for a tiny proportion (2%) of its secondary market trades a decade ago, but that share has grown significantly in the past several months, according to the business information service. In the first nine months of last year, one case of all-Chardonnay 2012 Salon Le Mesnil popped 232%. Altogether, the Liv-Ex Champagne 50 Index — which includes “recent vintages of a dozen top brands” — outperformed gold, the FTSE, and the S&P 500, as well as the Bordeaux First Growths and even Burgundy.

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