Coffee Corner for your customers
Times are changing and so are the shoppers. Their tastes and needs are different from those that prevailed just a few years ago. Today they expect more than simple shopping. They want to feel in the shop as if they were in a more sophisticated place – a restaurant or a café. And it’s hardly surprising, after all, they spend a lot of time shopping.
Following in the footsteps of these changes, managers of retail chains are trying to create a complete shopping experience for their customers, something that will make them feel good and want to come back to the store again. This is particularly important in times of fierce market competition which we can see recently. It is no longer enough to tempt customers with low prices, promotions, or décor. Nowadays, it is all about experience, the way of spending time and building a relationship with a brand.
These constant customer-driven changes in the retail industry are best illustrated by the example of petrol stations, which have undergone an incredible evolution. And one of the driving forces behind this evolution was coffee corners.
How have coffee corners changed petrol stations?
The times when you could only buy fuel and car accessories at a petrol station are long gone. At first, their place was taken by small shops with basic products that the travellers might need.
Later, some perceptive manager came up with the idea to start serving good coffee at the stations. Hot dogs and other dishes followed, and from there it was only a small step to gas stations turning into small restaurants, tempting travellers to stay longer. Today, coffee and hot dogs are products that are sold there more often than fuel.
Interesting fact: Coffee is the second most valuable commodity in the global economy after crude oil. Experts estimate that the global coffee market generates up to $ 200 billion in profit annually.
Coffee in Poland
Polish people love coffee. And they love it more and more, because the consumption of this drink in our country is constantly growing. According to research, 51% of Poles drink coffee outside their homes, almost half of those who drink it regularly.
The trend of change has accelerated in recent years. Today, places that not long ago were not associated with drinking coffee are leading the way in serving the black brew. Grocery shops, petrol stations and bakeries are cutting out an ever-larger slice of this cake for themselves.
This is supported by the fact that the average Pole drinks 3 coffees a day. The former is most often drunk on the go in the morning on the way to work and bought at a petrol station or in a convenience store.
It comes as no surprise, then, that retail chains are increasingly introducing coffee corners into their shops, offering customers fresh and aromatic coffee. Its scent is well associated, brings a feeling of bliss and relaxation, and thus encourages to spend a longer time in the store. The concept of a coffee corner as we know it from a petrol station is successfully operated, for example, in the Żabka chain. Customers pop in for a quick day’s shopping and leave with a takeaway coffee, not infrequently also a doughnut or pastry. Not surprisingly, the larger retail chains also see enormous potential in coffee.
The first coffee corners began to appear in the shops of popular retail chains. They are being tested by, among others, Biedronka, Lidl, Carrefour and Dino. This is also done by clothing shops or service points, such as banking establishments. This has to do with the exodus of ‘physical’ customers to the web and at the same time the desire to create a community around the brand.
How to create a coffee corner in your store?
Step 1
You need to make sure you get the right coffee machine, which is efficient and brews coffee in several variants, preferably automatically and of the right quality. There’s nothing worse than serving customers unpalatable coffee – it’s counterproductive and the customer experience is significantly compromised.
Step 2
The location of the coffee machine is particularly important, as it determines the overall “atmosphere” that will be created around the coffee area. Nobody wants to prepare a drink on a dirty or damp-swollen worktop. Preparing coffee requires a few accessories: a cup, a lid, a stirrer, and extras such as sugar or spices. These accessories need to have an organised place, they need to be accessible and safe, so that the customer can be certain they are reaching for a clean stirrer or cup lid. It is worth investing in a coffee area made of quality and waterproof materials to ensure your customers’ comfort and yourself a longer use of the furniture. Perfecta offers just such a solution – check our coffee corner.
When doing so, it is important to remember to install and prepare a suitable location. High-end coffee machines require a system water connection equipped with appropriate filters. Water is almost as important as coffee beans.
Step 3
This is the last step, but by no means the least important – on the contrary! It is about providing customers with high-quality coffee. Fortunately, it is not difficult to find such a product nowadays, so we do not have to make any compromises here. There are hundreds of larger and smaller producers, global corporations, and local craft roasters. Our clients deserve the best!
Benefits of selling coffee
Numerous examples prove that there are many benefits to be gained from serving coffee to your customers. The first is the most obvious – the profits made from selling the black brew. Other benefits are somewhat less tangible, but just as important, if not more so. They are associated with building positive experiences and associations in customer’s mind, and the feeling of relaxation and unwinding that comes from drinking fresh, aromatic coffee makes customers spend more time and money in the shop and become more likely to visit again. The possibility of using paper cups as advertising media is also important here, as is the use of the coffee area for cross-selling.
As you can see, all the arguments are in favour of coffee corners in retail chains repeating the success of those at petrol stations. So, in the future, will we be sitting over a cup of espresso and browsing a shop’s offer on a tablet instead of walking along the aisles? Time will tell, but it seems that the chances are high. It is worth joining this growing trend. With Perfecta it will be easy.
