How COVID-19 Is Impacting Coffee Shops?
Coffee shops are places that people visit to drink
premium coffee while working or socialising with friends and family. The coffee
industry is amongst the worst affected by the pandemic with many having to shut
when the government announced the lockdown.
While the government is now easing the lockdown
allowing people to go back to work, if it’s safe to do so, no-one is entirely
sure when coffee businesses will be able to return to normal business. However,
some cafes have thought of alternative ways to still sell their coffee to the
public.
How Has Lockdown Affected Coffee Businesses
At the end of March, a fifth of the world’s
population had been placed under lockdown by their country’s government,
leading to many employees either working from home or being furloughed.
However, some coffee businesses couldn’t afford to keep some staff, so they had
to be made redundant. This has also impacted coffee drinkers as well as many
had their favourite coffee shop. While some people
may have tried a new coffee shop each week. Neither group can now do so because
of the restrictions. Some coffee businesses have been trading and offering the
public takeaway coffee, while still abiding by the social distancing rules.
This is an effective income source for many independent coffee shops, the key
is for cafes to have an online presence, so that they can reach their loyal
followers.
How Are Shops with Less Developed E-Commerce Channels Trading?
For businesses in this situation, it may be useful to partner with a developed business that uses technology to get new business. Some have seen a huge change from not having any e-commerce technology to now partnering with businesses to enable cashless payment. Here at Espresso, we use a payment method called Valinso Payment Platform. This method works with Vendon or independently allowing payment by NFC. Payment methods such as Google, Apple Pay and Tap and Go systems are an efficient way of coffee businesses to still open during the pandemic. This may be the way forward for businesses after the pandemic.
Could COVID-19 Influence Future Coffee Drinking?
Consumer spending may decrease after the lockdown has been lifted. China was the first country to come out of lockdown and they have seen an increase in online shopping and a decrease in small purchases. This means that people spending money on coffee could be reduced. Customers may also change their coffee consumption choices after lockdown. Some will want to experiment with new coffee and others will want to stick with affordable speciality coffee.
Contact
Us for Coffee Industry Consultancy
If you’re looking for coffee industry consultancy services, look no further, we have the industry experience to meet your requirements. Please get in touch with our friendly coffee engineers on 02039 574 961 or you can use our contact form. We serve the UK and Ireland.