We talk with Jarosław Michnacki, designer at Perfecta Retail, about furniture for building coffee stations in retail outlets, shops and gas stations.
Aromatic coffee. Its scent puts us in a blissful mood and makes our life a bit easier. It is therefore not surprising that more and more retail outlets are equipped with coffee stations, where you can buy this aromatic brew to drink on the spot or takeaway.
True, but keep in mind that a good coffee station is much more than just a coffee machine and tabletop.
Sure. If it were otherwise, we wouldn’t be having this conversation (laughs)! So, what is the most important when designing a coffee corner at our point of sale? What do we need to remember?
First, we need to define our client and his needs. Here, you should take into account such aspects as the type of retail outlet that we equip with a coffee station, as well as the expectations of the customer and the owner. After all, the consumption of coffee bought at a gas station is completely different than the one that is to accompany us while shopping in a shopping mall.
What else do we need to look after in case of coffee station?
To paraphrase a well-known saying, you can say “ergonomics, fool!” A properly designed coffee corner will not only encourage you to buy a black drink, but also make it easy and relaxing to use. Complicating the whole process too much may deter the customer.
Yes. This is especially important in situations when the customer is in a hurry, e.g., at a gas station.
That’s it. Therefore, when designing coffee corners, we focus on making the entire process as ergonomic, comfortable, safe and hygienic as possible.
Since you mentioned hygiene – this is probably another important aspect. Am I right?
Of course! The goal of every retail outlet owner should be to provide customers with a positive experience from the visit. Hygiene of the coffee corner, its aesthetics and order are of key importance here. Therefore, when designing our furniture, we make sure that it is easy and quick to clean.
See also: Coffee Shopping – how to use coffee corner 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.
That’s great, but doesn’t frequent cleaning shorten the life cycle of the furniture?
Not ours! (laughter). We are aware that from the business point of view, it is important that all investments pay off as long as possible. This principle also applies to coffee stations. This is why our furniture – unlike other solutions available on the market – is not made of standard furniture board that is easily damaged by moisture.
Oh, that’s interesting. What materials do you use to build your coffee station?
It’s a secret (laughs)! All I can say is that they are fully waterproof. We thought that our coffee corner could be immersed in the Odra River and then used again after wiping. And we managed to do it. Of course – for various reasons, we do not recommend soaking our furniture in the river, but if someone does not believe our guarantees – go ahead!
This is quite an unusual guarantee.
We don’t make empty promises. Although only 3 weeks passed from the creation of the general concept to the implementation of the project, we believe that our idea defends itself.
Is your project finished?
No Perfecta’s project is ever finished! (laughter). We are constantly working to ensure that our products are as polished as possible. It is no different in the case of our coffee stations. We are constantly working to provide the best solutions that will create optimal shopping experiences for customers.
But your furniture is not only clever solutions …
That’s true. We believe that a good piece of furniture is not only functional but also nice. The aesthetic function is as important to us as ergonomics. Maintaining a balance between these two aspects is a great challenge that we are nevertheless able to deal with.
What does your work with the client look like?
We start with getting to know the client’s expectations and the conditions of a given point of sale. On this basis, we create assumptions that make up a system of solutions from which the client can create his own corner. Thanks to this, we are sure that the piece of furniture will perfectly suit its needs. The system includes not only a cabinet for a coffee machine, an ergonomic arrangement of accessories, but also additional equipment for selling coffee and other related products.
So, let’s go for a coffee!
Yes, with pleasure!
