Expresso Plus highlights the importance of choice to on-the-go coffee customers
THE personal touch is not something to be underestimated in convenience retailing.
It’s also a key component in a successful coffee-to-go offer, according to Charlotte Duhaney, marketing manager at Expresso Plus, who said the typical consumer “craves choice” when visiting a store.
“So offering a large variety of hot beverages will help you meet this need,” she said.
“Hot drinks machines are an ideal investment for retailers who want to increase footfall and provide high quality to-go beverages for customers.
“Coffee-to-go solutions like the Lavazza Eleganza, designed with consumer experience in mind, empower customers with over 200 variations of hot beverages to choose from.
“Customers are invited to tailor their hot drinks, including options for coffee and milk strength and syrup additions, so they walk away with the perfect cup every time.”
It’s not all about the coffee either. Duhaney said there is growing demand for “luxury hot chocolate”, which now accounts for 20% of Expresso Plus drinks sold.
The marketing boss added that, to meet this demand, Expresso Plus has teamed up with Thorntons to launch an exclusive hot-chocolate-to-go range.
“Expresso Plus pride ourselves on staying ahead of the curve with innovation at the centre of what we do.
“We work with big brands like Lavazza, Nescafe and Thorntons to help retailers meet the ever evolving consumer demand,” she said.
Sustainability is another key consideration for many consumers, and the impact of coffee-to-go cups has taken its fair share of headlines in 2019.
To tackle the waste caused by disposable coffee cups, Duhaney said Expresso Plus has launched new ‘R-cups’ – reusable cups made from used paper cups.
Upselling reusable cups is a great way for retailers to demonstrate their sustainable values, whilst exploring another avenue of income.
“We throw away an average of 350 paper cups each per year. The R-cup is designed to last at least ten years, meaning each R-cup sold makes a serious impact.
“Upselling reusable cups is a great way for retailers to demonstrate their sustainable values, whilst exploring another avenue of income.”
Duhaney also suggested retailers could boost their margins further by including coffee to go as part of their store’s meal deal – offering consumers a healthier alternative to a sugary soft drink.
