How to make a small independent coffee shop stand out in a crowded marketplace in the city
| 25th February 2019
Who doesn’t love a good café trip? Few of us, it seems. Last year, Project Café UK – a leading industry report – revealed the market to be worth £10.1 billion, with an annual sales increase of almost 8%.
What’s more, the sector has enjoyed two decades of profit growth, which is promising for anyone wanting to join it.
But it’s still a competitive business area – so, if you’re looking to set up your own coffee shop, experts say that you’ll need to stand out!
Invest in the best machinery
As an aspiring café owner, you’ll no doubt know plenty about coffee – have you considered which machinery you’ll use, though?
Very often, entrepreneurs are told to invest in cheap equipment, in order to save money. But if the tools you buy are ineffective, you may end up paying more in the long run to cover repair and new apparatus costs.
Research the market thoroughly, however, and you’ll be able to find reliable appliances – such as coffee grinders – at a reasonable price. Industry specialists like Nisbets offer premium café supplies, like coffee grinders, for example.
To make sure that yours is the best coffee in town, look for high quality machinery.
Stay on top of industry trends
Industries rarely stay the same for long – and the café sector is no different. This is usually down to changes in consumer trends; after all, it makes sense to sell what clients want most.
So, to stay relevant as a small coffee shop, it’s vital to stay on top of industry trends, especially as you’ll be competing against big, typically wealthier, chains for customers.
A current leading trend in the coffee shop sector is sustainability, as more people become increasingly aware of the danger of single use plastic for the planet. Given that most British consumers are trying to reduce plastic wastage, this may very well continue.
Café experts are keen to underline the financial – as well as environmental – value of providing an eco-friendly service for customers.
If you want your business to stand out from the coffee shop crowd, it’s crucial that you cater to popular movements in within the sector.
To spot upcoming trends, you may want to head to social media, which brings us nicely on to our next point…
Make the most of social media
True, a positive social media presence can benefit a business from any sector – but it’s particularly important for café owners.
Just look at Instagram: its users are often keen to share images of the small, unique coffee shops that they’ve enjoyed visiting.
So, before you decorate your store, work out your menu, or even invest in crockery, hop onto the various social media sites. That way, you can roam each to see which interior styles, tableware and confectionary seem the most popular among avid café visitors.
Once you’ve done this, you’ll then be able to modify your café to be both trendy and individual, likely raising its visitor appeal as a result.
While small coffee shops are usually, by nature, unique when compared to larger brands within the industry, it’s key to make yours stand above the rest.