Coffee isn’t just for mornings anymore. While consumers do indeed enjoy a hot cup of joe to start their day, a variety of coffee offerings—from hot to iced and cold-brew coffee—has many consumers craving coffee during all dayparts. With the demand for coffee increasing, having coffee equipment that can keep up, and that doesn’t require extra labor to prepare and serve coffee throughout the day will be beneficial to convenience store retailers.
Coffee sales are solid
Consumer coffee trends and shopping habits change often, as do their routines and needs. Many consumers have returned to the office and are commuting to work more often, thus prompting a shift in coffee consumption.
According to the August 2024 State of the Market C-Store Coffee Trends report—developed and produced by CSP Intelligence—nearly four in 10 retailers (39%) said people are commuting to the office more often, creating more demand for coffee on the go. Convenience stores are quick, convenient places to go to grab coffee—many of which have a variety of options, including those that allow consumers to customize their drinks any way they want.
Consumers are thinking of c-stores when they need their coffee fix, according to the report, and as a result c-store retailers said that they’re winning market share from traditional coffee players, including diners and coffeehouses.
New coffee offerings are trendy
C-store retailers pointed to new drinks that resonate with consumers as a driver of sales growth in the State of the Market C-Store Coffee Trends report, and said that consumers prefer c-store coffee offerings to what they can prepare at home with their own equipment.
Many prepared coffee menu items are offered as part of c-store coffee programs—from hot drip and iced coffee, flavored hot and iced coffee and creamers, cold-brew and nitro coffee, hot and iced espresso, frozen/blended coffee and espresso and plant-based/alternative creamers.
But cold coffee drinks and flavored add-ins seem to be trending the most with consumers. According to the State of the Market C-Store Coffee Trends report, 39% of c-store retailers said iced and cold-brew coffees are popular among consumers, while 39% said creamers and flavored syrups and 20% said iced or blended espresso drinks.
Coffee equipment helps coffee sales grow
Automated coffee machines that can prepare and serve a variety of coffee throughout the day can boost sales by meeting consumer demand during all dayparts, as well as reduce labor by not requiring employees to be on coffee duty all day.
According to the State of the Market C-Store Coffee Trends report, 44% of c-store retailers said that investing in new equipment for making and dispensing coffee was behind their sales growth. In addition, 30% said that equipment that enables better self-service would motivate them to start selling prepared coffee or to add more prepared-coffee options. Equipment meant to serve coffee all day and equipment that is versatile enough to prepare drip coffee and espresso were also motivators mentioned in the report.
SEB Professional—which includes the three brands WMF, Schaerer and Curtis—offers coffee equipment for both the commercial and non-commercial food service industry, as well as grocery, convenience retailing and more. Their high-quality brewing machines provide both automated coffee and espresso solutions, and a great coffee experience for consumers.
SEB Professional will be at this year’s NACS show, from October 8 to October 10 in Las Vegas, at booth number C4622. To learn more, visit here.
This post is sponsored by SEB Professional North America