Retail Sales
The retail sale of whole bean coffee, either online or in-store, is an often underutilized vehicle for increasing sales and educating customers about the dynamic nature of coffee.
A strategically planned online or physical retail coffee program can play a major role in ensuring your business’s success and generate a significant amount of revenue. For example, if you were to sell a little as 5 retail bags a day at $17, you would generate an additional $31,000 per year!
How should I set up In-Store Sales?
Your whole bean display should be accessible to customers as they wait to place orders and pick up coffee drinks but set apart enough that your customers won’t feel rushed or jostled as they read the labels and consider their options.
Keep your display at eye level so that your customers won’t have to bend over or crouch while browsing.
Your display should convey a sense of abundance. A plentiful, broad display allows multiple customers to handle the bags and make their decisions comfortably.
What are some best practices for selling my coffee online?
If you’ve already got a website for your business, you’re halfway there. Many businesses use something like Wix or Squarespace as an easy website builder. Neither requires you to know anything about coding! You choose a template and update it to match your brand. Once your website is up and running, you’ll want to think about how to accept sales. First, check with your website provider to understand if there are existing eCommerce plugins or compatible apps to choose from. Here are some common solutions:
Square
There’s a good chance you might already use Square in your retail shop. If that’s the case, it’s fast and simple to set up an online shop. You’ll also have several pricing options to choose from so you can pick the plan that works best for you. As you grow and scale, you can always choose a different pricing plan. Be sure to make sure it’s compatible with your existing website. Click Here and Here for more information or to get started.
Shopify
If you’re an online shopper, you’ve likely already heard of Shopify – another popular eCommerce platform. Shopify offers Pricing for businesses of all sizes and a 14-day free trial, so you can get started on figuring it all out today for free. It’s also compatible with many primary website builders such as Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, and WordPress. Learn more Here.
Other things to keep in mind…
If you’re already using Squarespace as your website, be sure to check out their Menu of Extensions to see if some of their offerings are a good fit for your online business. They also have loads of preset eCommerce templates Here.
If you’ve got a WordPress site, you might want to research WooCommerce’s Extension Store for a la carte app plugins if you’re looking for more advanced additions like subscriptions or gifting options in your online store.
Once your online store is ready to go, you can begin accepting orders from your customers.