Coffee Service

How specialty coffee businesses adapt to a 'new normal'

May 22, 2020

Specialty coffee businesses are managing to adapt to a "new normal" during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released by the Specialty Coffee Association and Square Inc.

The 2020 Square x SCA Coffee Report includes insights into new trends and ways of doing business emerging as the pandemic continues to unfold, according to a press release. 

"Specialty coffee businesses across the country are evolving their efforts to serve communities and generate revenue during this unprecedented time," Peter Giuliano, chief research officer at the SCA, said in the release. "Amazingly, three in four Square coffee sellers have been able to continue operating during shelter-in-place, finding ways to adapt to their new circumstances. This shows tremendous resilience and creativity, from curbside coffee pickup to grocery store-style sales, home delivery to expanded ecommerce." 

Square collected and analyzed data from millions of anonymized transactions from thousands of coffee shops across the U.S. between 2018 and 2020: where the seller was located, the total transaction amount (cost), and the names of the purchased items. 

The report includes the following highlights:

• Significant increases in curbside and/or pickup purchases. 
• An increase in delivery options.
• An increase in card payments for purchases.
• Customers tended to order more. 
• An increase in subscription offerings and sales at a higher price point than the average order. 

For an update on how the coronavirus is affecting convenience services, click here.