Constantly changing expectations of customers shape today’s retail market. Coffee station is a great way to focus customer’s attention. Convenience is what lures the customers into stores that have enough parking spaces and shelves full of products. Efficient customer service is another key factor which means short queues or self-service cashpoints. Since Covid-19 personal security is hotter than ever. Apart from this, customers request from shops the possibility to run their errands (e.g., change a baby, post a parcel). They also visit the shop to fulfill their daily needs like to grab a hot meal or to get a good coffee. The last example is a special one, because coffee is an important part of our lifestyle.
Let’s discover how to connect typical positive emotions associated with coffee with in-store customer experience. In other words, how shops can benefit from fulfilling customers’ need to have a cup of coffee.
1. Coffee next to your store
Location of multiple stores, restaurants and coffee shops in the same shopping center is a win-win situation for all of these businesses. Shops can benefit from the location of various retailers close to each other. Shoppers also make their visits to coffee shops. Similarly, after having a coffee customers have more energy for further shopping (which means spending more money). Moreover, their customer experience is more positive.
Some retail stores are operating in format, where the main superstore is surrounded with smaller shops with complementary goods. In the same area also restaurants and coffee shops may be located. It is worth noticing that coffee is quite often served by bakeries and confectionery shops.
If your store is adjacent to a coffee shop, you get more energized customers, motivated to make bigger purchases. If you give your customers the possibility to sip coffee while shopping, you’ll make their customer experience better.
Your store benefits from a nearby coffee shop in such a way that you do not pay the costs of purchasing and maintaining the coffee machine.
But this option has also some disadvantages: benefits from selling coffee, which due to the big margin can be significant goes to the coffee shop or bakery – not to your store. Please, remember that having coffee served out of your marketplace does not have an influence on its quality.
2. Coffee bistro in a store
You can decide to sell and serve fresh coffee in your store. Apart from gaining margin from selling your coffee, you win “caffeinated” customers who will use an excess of energy in your store, not at competitors’ side. Customers who grab a hot beverage at the coffee bistro spend more time shopping and usually end up with a fuller shopping cart.
It is well known that coffee and sweet snacks are complementary goods. Research studies conducted by retail chains prove an increase of compulsive sales of sweets located close to coffee point. Another successful marketing mechanism is aroma marketing that aims to influence customers by a sense of smell. Aroma of fresh roasted coffee evokes positive connotations. Smell-like-coffee shopping may turn into a customers’ habit or even some kind of pleasant ritual.
It’s widely believed that there is no better thing in the world than coffee served by a skilled barista. Creating your own coffee bistro may be challenging also due to the need to recruit experienced employees. Yes – a team of employees, because long hours retail stores are operating must be covered by a work shift pattern. And – you know – workers sometimes go on holiday or sick leave… Part of investment in coffee points is team management and personnel cost.
3. Autonomous coffee station
The next solution is a compromise: you keep all the benefits coming from serving coffee in the store and attempt to avoid pain points linked with recruiting new workers.
What we are talking about here is an autonomous coffee station used for preparing espresso or cappuccino for customers by themselves. This solution is well known from gas stations. Recently the same concept is being introduced to many retail chains.
In this case the coffee maker is supposed to be durable enough to resist long and intense operation. Cleaning, descaling and any other maintenance works should be processed automatically. A coffee machine must be intuitive so that users are able to prepare themselves a cup of coffee even if they are doing it for the very first time. The safety of the customer should come first. The device should not be equipped with an external milk frother which could cause burns. The set of furniture for the coffee machine should have cups and lids dispensers, as well as a rubish bin and coffee grounds container.
Making coffee means use of water and milk, this is why furniture should be waterproof. Because coffee stations are going to be used by many people, the quality of materials and a durable construction are crucial. The design of coffee furniture should be an invitation to use it. No one would like to use one which is dirty or faded due to humidity.
Before you choose furniture for a coffee machine, pick an optimal location in store. It should not be close to the checkout zone which is often crowded. Optimal solution would be to give a customer a chance to get their favorite coffee at the beginning of shopping. Then rest of the purchasing activity will result in a better customer experience. While large department stores can design special coffee zones, the abilities of convenience stores are much more limited.
Coffee Point System is an example of modular coffee furniture, which may be configured up to your concept of serving coffee in your store.
Coffee Point System
Modular, waterproof, and packed with sales and marketing functions. A system for building coffee stations for gas stations, shops, and retail outlets.
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