If you’re opting to select high quality coffee beans for your new business venture, or you are looking to adapt your current offering, these trends might help you with your decision making.
Increased Consumer knowledge
Today, a cup of coffee is a lot more than a ‘pick me up coffee fix’ and is now seen by many as an experience akin to unwrapping a present. The anticipation, the evaluation, the opinion; consumers have a lot more experience and understanding on what coffee they like and how they like it. Coffee has evolved from being a basic hot beverage into a fully blown social experience that is full of nuance. Quality is being demanded at every turn, from the beans, to the coffee machine, to the barista. Each part of the equation needs to be working well with each other in order to deliver the best.
Independent Coffee Shop growth
Historically we were a nation of tea and instant coffee drinkers, along came big chains like Starbucks and Costa that fitted their stores out with sofas and free wifi and the coffee shop was transformed into a cool place to hang out. Over the past two decades we have seen the coffee shop transformed into a social hub where friends meet and people catch up and for many people, the cafe has replaced the pub as the venue of choice. Increasingly we see more independent cafes emerge with vibes of thought leadership and different offerings; whether you subscribe to their philosophy or not, it’s definitely a thing and worth considering.
Demand for High Quality Coffee
Twenty years ago, espresso based drinks were only available in high-end coffee shops. Fast forward and there’s an overload of coffee shops, and the availability of quality coffee has expanded into our pubs and retail stores. It seems everywhere has to ensure their coffee is quality, otherwise no-one will buy it.
As a result, coffee businesses have ramped up innovation to cater to the growing consumer demands by trialing new methods, as well as revisiting old ones, aiming to create more distinctive and new flavour profiles.
Ethical Consumerism
A lot of the world’s coffee comes from developing countries, so sustainable coffee is high on the agenda. These agreements provide better deals for the coffee farmers and their communities. Although products that are Rain Forest Alliance certified are more expensive, ethically minded coffee consumers are willing to pay the premium.
The modern consumer wants their purchases to make a difference. This theme is well recognised with businesses who invest in recyclable cups and packaging, as well as sustainable infrastructures gain much better traction and loyalty from their customer.
In conclusion, coffee consumption has enjoyed unprecedented levels of popularity with real and sustained interest from all ages and societal groups. Woodland Coffee is a high grade speciality coffee with super sustainability credentials which have really engaged our customers and consumers alike.since it was launched in October. Like to find out more about how Woodland Coffee can propel your business forward? Just drop us a line, we’d love to hear from you.
