As the temperature dips and holiday fever rises, coffee shop owners and baristas can boost their business by adapting to changing consumer habits. November through December are prime time for increasing sales and customer loyalty by creating positive, memorable experiences. In this blog, we'll explore how consumers' coffee drinking and spending habits change during the holiday season–and how you can sweeten their experience and jingle all the way to the bank.
1. Festive Flavors
Visions of sugar plums aren’t the only things dancing through your customers’ heads. This season, coffee drinkers are pining for beverages that evoke the spirit of the holidays, such as peppermint mochas, gingerbread lattes, and spiced eggnog coffees.
Barista Underground offers the syrups and sauces you need to stir up an exceptional winter holiday menu. During this season of gratitude and magic, coffee shop owners are grateful for the ability to mix and match flavors, all always at wholesale prices–which sets us apart from the competition and sets you up for maximum flexibility. Whether it's syrups from brands like Monin, 1883, Holy Kakow, or Torani, or sauces from Hollander or Ghirardelli, you can mix up the best for your customers.
Some of our favorite syrup and sauce flavors for this winter include Amaretto, Cookie Butter, Gingerbread, Peppermint, White Chocolate, and Salted Caramel.
2. Give It Up for Gifts
One of the most popular items on your customers’ wish lists: gifts for others.
You can help them check off those lists with branded merchandise like coffee mugs, hoodies, beanies, or holiday-themed gift baskets that make for excellent presents. You can even create special holiday packaging to make your offerings more gift-worthy.
To ensure that customers continue to offer the present of presence at your cafe, offer gift cards or loyalty programs that incentivize customers to purchase gift cards for their friends and family. This not only increases your sales during the holiday season, but also extends your customer base as new recipients visit your shop.
3. Be There When They Drop After They Shop
Holiday shopping and festivities mean consumers are out and about–and in need of a little cafe pick-me-up. To accommodate this shift in lifestyle, consider extending your coffee shop's operating hours. By matching your hours around popular shopping times and days, or around holiday events, you’ll be there for customers looking for a warm beverage after a long day of holiday activities.
Promote your extended hours through your website, email list, social media, and outdoor signage to ensure potential customers know you're open and ready to serve them, no matter the time. It’s a gift that will pay many happy return visits.
4. Warm Up Online Ordering and Delivery
It’s cozy season. Appeal to customers’ desire to stay warm and cozy at home by offering online ordering and delivery. Set up order-ahead service with Odeko. Partner with food delivery apps or set up your own online ordering system through your website or mobile app.
Ensure that your online menu includes all your seasonal offerings, and consider offering special promotions for online orders during the holiday season to incentivize customers to use these services. It will bring joy to their world–and to your bottom line.
5. ‘Tis the Season for Promotions
Consumers are always on the lookout for a good deal during the holidays. Create enticing promotions and discounts to attract cost-conscious shoppers. Offer "buy one, get one" deals on holiday drinks, loyalty program bonuses, or bundled specials that combine a drink with a holiday themed pastry or dessert. Then get the word out via email marketing, social media, and in-store signage to ensure that customers are aware of the value you're offering. It’s a great way to play Santa. And because Barista Underground delivers cafe supplies right to your door, you won’t have to drive your sleigh all over town.
Underground Tip:
Celebrate Community
Foster a sense of community by partnering with local charities for donation drives and by reminding consumers to support local. You’ll create a sense of goodwill, showcase your role as a cornerstone of your community, and communicate that patronizing your cafe doesn’t just feel good, it does good.
6. Get Personal
Making people feel valued is a true gift. Ensure that you communicate how important customers are as human beings as well as patrons by engaging with them on a personal level. Train your staff to remember regular customers' names and favorite drinks. Offering a friendly smile and warm greeting can go a long way in creating a loyal customer base, which is even more important during what can be a stressful season for many.
Consider sending holiday themed emails to your loyal customers, thanking them for their support throughout the year and offering exclusive discounts or promotions as a token of appreciation. Your customers are more than a Medium Vanilla Oat Milk Latte or Large Chai with Extra Cardamon. Make sure they know that you recognize that.
The Great Holiday Wrap-Up
Warm up to a wealth of opportunities to grow your business this holiday season. By introducing seasonal flavors, offering gift-giving opportunities, extending operating hours, providing online ordering and delivery options, promoting discounts, engaging with the community, and personalizing customer interactions, you can make this the most wonderful time of the year for your customers–and your cafe.
Get wholesale prices on the best coffee supplies, delivered right to your door.
See how Barista Underground offers a holiday from retail prices and the cafe supply runaround.