The ease of shopping online has increased significantly during the past several years.
As a result, consumers prioritize ease when making purchases and frequently anticipate shops to present creative solutions that will save them time and effort.
This has led to an increase in sales of handy coffee options such capsules, drip coffee bags, and takeaway orders within the coffee industry. Roasters and coffee shops must change to accommodate the needs of the younger, always mobile generation as industry tastes and trends change.
Given that 90% of consumers think they are likely to choose a merchant or brand solely based on convenience, this is very crucial. Moreover, 97% of buyers have abandoned a transaction because it was inconvenient for them.
When trying to entice people who are looking for quick, practical ways to brew and consume coffee, there are several considerations for roasters and coffee shop operators to take into account.
I chatted with Andre Chanco, the proprietor of Yardstick Coffee in Manila, the Philippines, to gain more understanding of why convenience has grown to be so crucial to coffee drinkers.
How does convenience affect consumers’ purchasing choices?
Swan-necked kettles, digital scales, and steel conical burr grinders served as the cornerstone for specialty coffee’s development.
However, getting the most out of premium beans has always been a skill that requires practice. But for a new generation of contemporary consumers, the goal goes beyond bringing out the subtler characteristics of specialty coffees.
Andre, a green bean purchaser, explains, “Convenience can mean many things. It may refer to having access to coffee, being able to brew more quickly or simply, or increasing our level of accessibility to both potential and current clients.
“As everyone gets busier, roasters are looking at ‘convenience’ across all facets without compromising quality,” the author continues.
Coffee customers today are seeking for more than simply the best whole beans, keeping convenience in mind.
How contemporary coffee users get their daily caffeine boost has been impacted by the aim to strike a balance between accessibility and quality.
Many customers balance an active lifestyle with work, running kids to and from school, and socializing.
They may find the solution in coffee products that shorten wait times or eliminate the need to ground and brew whole beans without compromising on taste.
Does ease of use outweigh quality for younger coffee drinkers?
Consumers who choose the simplicity of an instant coffee machine or the ease of a drive-through window frequently base their decisions on convenience.
The belief that instant coffee lacks the high degree of quality and flavour to be considered “specialty” led many roasters to choose whole bean or ground coffee in the past.
However, the instant coffee industry is once again expanding, with a global market value of more than $12 billion. Having said that, speciality coffee’s additional intervention has improved the quality of the ingredients used and helped the supply chain become more transparent.
Andre says, “I suppose there are two kinds of home brewers: amateurs and aficionados. “For enthusiasts, it just involves obtaining their daily dose of coffee without fuss and being satisfied with the results.
For enthusiasts, everyday brew parameter experimentation is not a problem.
Everyone might not have the time to order a cup of coffee every day or have access to an espresso machine, according to Andre.
Therefore, regardless of the brewing technique, we aim to make their daily ritual as simple as possible.
Using specialised equipment to make coffee can enhance the experience for individuals who love freshly ground beans. However, for some people, it might not be the most practical or inexpensive choice.
Andrew explains, “We recently conducted a poll across 100 clients, and quality still came out as the top priority. Here, we consider convenience to be a bonus benefit for people who already appreciate good coffee at home or in cafés.
Therefore, many coffee roasters are now concentrating on discovering ways to reduce the barriers between convenience and the consumption of high-quality coffee.
What are the essential components that can improve customer convenience with coffee?
Convenience can come in a variety of forms, as Andre pointed out.
A portable hand grinder and an Aeropress are two pieces of equipment that many coffee aficionados find to be practical for their coffee setup. Both are simpler to transport than a pour-over and involve fewer stages.
But as the market has developed, roasters have had to modify their offerings in response to consumer demand for high-quality, affordable, and practical coffee.
For instance, some people have decided to create their own brand of speciality coffee capsules for usage at home or in workplaces. Due to their portability and ease of use, several have developed a variety of drip coffee bags.
Others, like Yardstick Coffee, have opted to take a more “retro” tack by making their own instant coffee from premium coffee beans.
“Flash coffee is our speciality freeze-dried coffee,” Andre explains. It was introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic and has been a huge success.
The product is intended for those who like coffee in locations without access to adequate brewing equipment, such as while camping, flying, or even at home.
“The main benefit is that the customer gets the best coffee without having to think about any recipes,” he continues. “They can also brew coffees side by side easily to do taste comparisons.”
Because they have a better awareness of flavor characteristics, roasters may choose beans that taste fantastic after being freeze-dried and used in brewing.
Customers can select a flavor profile they like thanks to this, and specialty coffee is distinguished from earlier varieties of jarred freeze-dried coffee by a higher level of quality and traceability.
Another item that is gaining ground on the market is coffee bags. Coffee bags provide consumers a more compact solution because they are packaged airtight.
They imitate the cup profile of a French press without the need for delicate machinery. They are therefore perfect for campers, hikers, and frequent travelers.
Having access to various roast levels applied to the beans inside coffee bags is a perk. Lighter roasts are better for consumers who want flavorful black coffee because they tend to have more acidity and fruitier characteristics.
An alternative is a medium- to dark-roast for those who like coffee add milk or sugar.
Roasters must change to accommodate customers’ growing preference for convenience by reducing the number of steps necessary to make a decent cup of coffee.
Every consumer has different likes and preferences when it comes to convenience, and this will affect how they choose to spend their money, as we at Cyan Pak are aware.
To showcase your brand and commitment to sustainability, we provide recyclable drip coffee bags, filters, and packing boxes that can be entirely customized.
Post time: May-31-2023