5 Steps to Selling Merchandise At Your Coffee Shop

Whether your customers prefer cold brew to espresso or specialty to a regular cup of Joe; they like coffee. It’s probably safe to say it’s one of America’s favorite beverages. According to the National Coffee Association’s recent annual report, about 35% of coffee drinkers drink their morning brew in a coffee shop.  That’s a pretty high number when you consider that 63% of Americans drink coffee every day. But what else could your customers be doing while they wait in line for their cup of java? They could be spending more money on merchandise, creating an extra revenue stream for your coffee shop.

Think about Starbucks. When you wait in line there you notice items like bags of beans, coffee mugs, seasonal items, snacks and more. Maybe you already sell products at or near your register, but what do your sales look like? Do you have the right merchandise, or does it just sit there day after day? Here are 5 steps to selling merchandise at your coffee shop.

Step 1 – Know Your Customer Base

Do you know who your customers are? Who is the average person that comes in your coffee shop? Are they male or female? Is he or she an executive or a blue collar worker? What is the average amount per transaction? By answering these questions you can get an idea of who your typical customer is, and purchase merchandise that would interest them.

Step 2 – Devise A Plan – What Will You Sell?

What is your plan? Just because something works for one coffee shop across the country or even down the road may not work for you. That’s why you need to know your audience and even set up some marketing and advertising campaigns to test your audience.

Figure out what you will sell. Try selling bags of branded coffee, mugs, t-shirts, decals, and more. But don’t go overboard when buying. Promote limited quantities and special editions. See what works for you.

Step 3 – Use Your POS To Help

Use your point-of-sale (POS) system to find out what customers are buying and not buying. Bepoz’s Coffee Shop POS has a reporting and analytics feature that can help. You want to capitalize and order more of what is working and stay away from what is not working. This will be a continual part of your process in determining what type of merchandise to stock on the shelves.

Step 4 – Consider Your Display

How will you display your items? A good rule of thumb is to put the cheaper items near the register as impulse buys. Place your pricier items where customers pick up their coffee. Instead of them staring at their social media platforms on their phones, hopefully they will notice your more expensive items, read your marketing signs, and consider jumping back in line for a second purchase.

Step 5 – Remove Any Items That Don’t Sell

Don’t let items that don’t sell collect dust. Sometimes you can pull if off the shelf and then try again at a later date. Maybe even bundle it with anther hot-selling item at a value-based price.

Once you’ve tested your audience for several months, you’ll get better and better at knowing what will sell and what won’t. Bepoz’s Coffee Shop POS software will keep track and help you. If you don’t have one yet, or are looking to upgrade your current software, take a look at Bepoz. Set up a free demo today.