Brought to you by International Delight® and STOK® Cold Brew.
Over the past few years, patronage of coffee shops has increased steadily, and nowadays, 54% of consumers visit a coffee shop at least once a week, according to Technomic’s 2016 Bakery & Coffee Café Report. With seasonal flavors and Instagram-worthy concoctions, coffee shops seem to have a leg up on c-stores when it comes to offering premium, craveable drinks.
Thankfully, though, there are a few ways that c-stores can stay competitive, offering premium and specialty coffee drinks that consumers crave.
As for what’s causing consumers to go to coffee shops so often, the report notes that 42% of consumers say that seasonal offerings are part of what’s encouraging them to visit, while 55% say the ability to customize their beverage order is important. That means that to compete with quick-service restaurants and coffee shops, c-stores should focus on premium specialty and customizable coffee drinks—the coffee shop experience.
Drip coffee made premium with customization options
Hot coffee is one of the most common beverage orders, but to make the experience a more premium one, retailers do well to offer options for consumers to customize their drinks. For instance, different creamers let customers add their favorite flavor to their coffee, and other options allow them the opportunity to create their own “specialty beverages”—adding caramel, chocolate and other flavored syrups or whipped cream, for example.
Customers can use a combination of flavored syrups to recreate coffeehouse faves, or they can add pumpkin spice creamer to create a comforting, warm drink that’s perfect for fall.
More coffee options for a premium experience
Another way c-store retailers can provide the coffee shop experience is to offer other types of coffee—cold brew and iced coffee, for instance. Mentions of cold brew on restaurant menus have grown 77% year over year, according to MenuMonitor, so to keep up with growing popularity, offering these new formats of coffee is ideal.
Combo options can also create a cafe-like transaction—customers can pair coffee with a baked item such as a bagel, muffin or donut for a convenient grab-and-go breakfast. According to Technomic’s 2016 Bakery & Coffee Café Report, 41% say that if food and beverage combos were offered, it would encourage them to order food from a cafe when they would otherwise just get a drink, and c-stores can benefit from that traffic-driver as well. Elevated baked goods, made with premium and all-natural ingredients, can help make the experience even tastier.
Creating a coffee shop experience for c-store customers is as simple as expanding the coffee customization options—more and more, consumers want the opportunity to flavor their coffee or to choose from hot or iced (or cold brew) options. If c-stores want to ensure continued consumer interest, elevating the coffee bar experience is key.
International Delight and STOK Cold Brew are the perfect combination for offering the coffee shop experience to your customers. From creating premium drip coffee drinks to offering customizable, coffeehouse-style beverages, c-stores can utilize these products to ensure their coffee customers are getting what they want.
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