The coffee-to-go market has been growing steadily in the last five years in the UK, increasing from £320m to £530m in 2020, a rise of 66%1. As such, stepping into coffee-to-go is a great opportunity for convenience stores and retailers.
Amid these trends, the average price of coffee has also increased2. Convenience stores that lack a hot drinks option could be missing key opportunities to meet consumer demand and boost profits.
As such, retailers see an increasing need for a coffee-to-go fixture. The question is what they should be looking for in the fixture, and how coffee suppliers can help them in their approach.
Brands and quality
Research shows that 39% of shoppers see brand names as the top attribute when defining a product as high quality or not3. With the market becoming more competitive and saturated, choosing a recognised brand for your hot drinks offering can help differentiate retailers from their rivals, drawing in more customers.
At the same time, customers are becoming more informed about coffee, with some qualifying as connoisseurs. It is therefore vital to ensure that your coffee-to-go supplier delivers the best possible quality when installing a fixture.
Some important attributes to consider are the origin and type of beans. 100% arabica coffee certified by the Rainforest Alliance is a recommended choice as it complies with the highest sustainability standards.
Alternative drinks and meal deals
Alongside coffee, it’s important to stock other hot drinks like tea or hot chocolate. A tenth of British consumers choose tea, with over 150 million cups of it being consumed out of home each week4. Coffee-to-go systems therefore need to provide a diverse range of options, like fresh leaf and herbal teas and premium hot chocolate.
Coffee-to-go machines are also a great investment for retailers wanting to increase their footfall and sales through link deals. For those that are already offering a meal deal, adding a range of hot drinks can appeal to more customers. For example, a breakfast link deal with coffee and a croissant can unlock further business and footfall during the mornings.
For retailers exploring coffee-to-go, a premium system is the key to attracting new customers and increase your sales potential.
Lavazza Coffee To Go
Leading coffee brand Lavazza has ventured into the coffee-to-go sector with the launch of its new Lavazza Coffee To Go system. Each machine provides authentic Italian recipes made from 100% Lavazza arabica coffee, certified by the Rainforest Alliance. Drinks are available in both medium (12oz) and large (16oz) sizes, served in premium Lavazza-branded cups.
Retailers can cater for all tastes due to its extensive menu which covers everything from coffee shop favourites (espresso, flat white, cappuccino, latte, americano and mocha) to Pukka organic teas and Thorntons Hot Chocolate. Keeping freshness at the forefront, the Lavazza Coffee To Go system comes with an inbuilt milk fridge, ensuring fresh milk and quality of flavour every time.
With all machines, furniture and product supplied by Lavazza, there are no up-front costs or investments for the retailer. Each Coffee To Go machine will also be installed, serviced, and maintained for free by Lavazza’s distribution partner, eXpresso PLUS. The partnership also provides training and free branded POS materials to increase visibility and drive awareness and cup sales.
For more information about Lavazza Coffee To Go, please visit our website. For any business enquires please contact Paul Dugdale, channel manager for coffee to go at Lavazza, at Paul.Dugdale@lavazza.com or on 07341464138.
Sources:
1 UK Vending Industry 2020 Census report, Automatic Vending Association
2 Allegra Project Café Europe 2020 report
3 IGD Shopper Visa
4 Modern Tea Trends 2019, The National Tea Day
