A coffee shop is many different things to many different people, but boring is the last thing you want it to be for potential customers and future patrons.
Standing out among the competition is the one hurdle every business has to overcome. With the popularity of coffee shops all over the world, simply adding desserts and cute stationery just isn’t going to cut it anymore.
However, you don’t want to start eliminating or adding too many products just yet. You can do better by associating your coffee with an assortment of unique and interesting products that give you an edge over the competition.
To jog your mind for ideas, here is a master list of items you can sell to cement your impression as “that one coffee shop”:
1. Books Make Interesting Coffee Shop Offerings
Books and coffee work so well together they might as well be inseparable, and it’s no surprise that coffee shop bookstores are a big hit as a result of this pairing.
That said, you may still need to think about the kind of books you’ll be selling, whether they’re just for a casual afternoon read at the coffee table, a helpful textbook for undergraduates or graduate students, or even new releases by small publishing houses. Better yet – sell all three!
In fact, selling releases from new authors incentivizes them to schedule book launches and signings at your cafe, providing a venue for an event that draws in potential customers eager to enjoy a warm cup of coffee and a good book.
However, despite the number of physical bookstores being on the decline, it’s still possible to carve out a niche for your coffee shop this way. After all, who doesn’t love the smell of coffee and old books?
2. Alcoholic Beverages for The Evening Crowd
There’s a reason Starbucks now sells wine after 4 p.m. – both coffee and alcohol are drinks that sell great during the late hours of the night. If you have customers walking in after a long day looking for a watering hole to relax and unwind, adding alcoholic beverages might just be the thing to sell.
Adding booze to the menu can bring out an entirely new concept to your coffee shop that you may want to explore, even if it doesn’t pick up right away. If anything else, it’s always good to throw in a little variety to the mix.
Seasonal drinks and teas can be a great option if you want to try your hand at expanding your beverage line, and cocktails like Irish coffee and White Russian are always welcome if you appeal to the right demographic.
3. Use Your Coffee Shop to Sell Local Art for a Unique Offering
Great coffee, like great art, stimulates the mind. Selling both at the same venue not only makes your customers want to stay longer thanks to the ambiance the art provides, but it also provides a place for local artists to showcase their works to an audience that may want to buy them.
In fact, having your coffee shop associated with a community (in this case, the local art scene) is a great way to ensure a steady flow of customers. It can also establish connections with other artists looking for places to sell their work where it can be seen.
Small things like prints and bookmarks with digital illustrations and whole paintings are all curiosities that customers will want to mull over before buying, and they may even be interested in a cup of coffee to go along with it.
There’s also a chance your customers might be interested in buying high-quality art supplies, especially if these said supplies can be a little tricky to find.
4. Wi-Fi and Electricity Draw Customers to Your Coffee Shop
Having a wifi connection is a staple for almost any place in this day and age, be it a major establishment or a small-time watering hole for weary patrons.
However, this also lures in some lingering souls looking to take advantage of a fast internet connection, whether they need it to work or to simply browse social media to pass the time. This isn’t always a bad thing. Cafe-goers who haunt bistros and coffee shops for free WiFi and power outlets can be potential customers, too.
Whether you want to charge a small fee per hour or make customers order at least one drink is completely up to you, as long as you don’t miss out on a chance to make that extra revenue when you can.
The game is no longer about getting these people to leave. Instead, it’s all about giving enough reasons to make these lingering cafe-goers stay that they eventually become paying customers.
5. Games
Customers lingering despite ordering just a single coffee isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, there are so many ways to turn that lingering customer into a paying one, and games are great for just that.
Board games play (pun intended) into the customer’s need to socialize, and spending the next three hours having fun with friends over a jigsaw puzzle or a game of Monopoly makes them more likely to order drinks and snacks.
Some cafes that use this model either charge a small fee for using them, while others let you use them for free. If you want to take it a step further, you can even sell said board games.
You can even venture into selling popular hobbyist products, like tabletop games (e.g. Warhammer 40,000), collectible card games (e.g. Magic: the Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!), or if you’re feeling a little daring, even gunplay.
6. Host Events at Your Coffee Shop to Entice Customers
Why stop at games? What makes a coffee shop attractive to potential patrons looking for a haunt isn’t just the coffee, but the overall atmosphere – and there’s always demand for a venue to host a fun evening.
This is where your coffee shop comes in. If you have the space for it, you can definitely provide the venue, especially if your venue is close to a university. Anything from trivia nights, to open-mic events, and music concerts and poetry nights is fair game.
That said, if you do decide to host events at your coffee shop, you may first want to check if it’s okay to do so – you definitely don’t want to get in trouble over noise complaints if things get too rowdy.
If your cafe is an intimate venue, hosting local musicians not only adds to the overall ambiance but also encourages customers and patrons to stick around and enjoy the music.
7. Classes are a Fun Addition to Your Coffee Shop Offerings
Whether you’re spreading the love for coffee or are leaning into your other products, hosting workshops or classes is a great way to get people to the door particularly when you invite an expert or two.
For instance, baking can be a hobby many coffee enjoyers may be interested in getting into, so connecting the making of pastries with your coffee can be a great way for potential customers to appreciate the product and try them out at a later time.
Classes also have the added effect of encouraging buddying hobbyists to further explore their newfound interests and form a community that’s passionate about your coffee.
8. Gift Cards and Coupons
More coffee shops are embracing the use of gift cards, especially since customers are going digital with their payments.
Gift cards and coupons are a great way for customers to buy coffee or other things for their friends and family, which is yet another effective form of advertising as loyal patrons can use them to bring other potential customers through the door.
On top of this, gift cards can also be promoted as prizes for events or special items given for free after spending a certain amount. You can even model your gift cards similar to rewards cards offered by supermarkets, where each purchase adds a points system that gives bigger discounts.
9. Sell Bicycle Parts at Your Coffee Shop for Useful Inventory
If your coffee shop is situated at a space that allows for bicycle parking, and is near a bicycle lane or a popular cycling route, then selling spare parts is a great way to get these potential customers to stop by for a hot cup of coffee while they get their tires replaced.
You can even provide repair services for things like broken chains and worn brakes in desperate need of replacement, something which cyclists and cycling enthusiasts alike will be thankful for. If you love cycling yourself, you may also want to share it by selling bicycles to new and curious customers.
Leaning into this can in turn appeal to the local cyclists, who might make it a point to change their cycling route so they can stop by your coffee shop and become loyal patrons.
10. Produce Plants
You’ve heard of coffee shops that sell vegan snacks, succulents, and flowers, but have you heard of a coffee shop selling grown tomato or lettuce plants?
Selling produce plants isn’t just a great way to appeal to vegans and health nuts – it’s also a great way to reinforce your brand and tie together different products, such as health drinks, or even fresh produce.
The urban (or suburban) gardening crowd is often one that’s underappreciated in many places, so leaning into plants, produce, or both as a side product is a great way to inject just a little bit of healthy living for customers who have hectic schedules.
There are always niches waiting to be filled, and homegrown vegetables in addition to succulents and flowering plants are a great way to stand out. Once it starts taking off, you can even sell seeds and other supplemental gardening materials.
11. Offer Pastries and Sweets to Diversify Your Coffee Shop Offerings
Cakes, desserts, and sweet treats, while commonly sold alongside coffee in many coffee shops, can be used to showcase how good your coffee goes with a tasty snack.
Anything from cookies, muffins, cakes, and even sandwiches (especially breakfast sandwiches) will do as long as they are high quality and made with fresh ingredients. Truffles and chocolates also fit this category.
What makes these items easily sellable is because they are really easy to prepare, if not ready to serve, letting you hit two birds with one stone. On top of this, you can make your coffee shop stand out by offering special dishes that no other shop is offering.
For this, it’s possible to lean heavily into traditional delicacies and desserts, which stand out compared to more standard, safer items previously mentioned. Foodies and food bloggers with curious palates will be inclined to try them out and recommend your cafe to their followers, which in turn is its own word-of-mouth advertising.
12. Mugs, Thermoses, and Flasks
Customers who love great coffee always want to have them wherever they go, and you can bet they have a flask or thermos in their backpack for exactly this purpose.
Selling thermoses and flasks encourages customers to take their coffee on the go with them, especially if they have a hectic schedule, so they can enjoy your product wherever they are. Additionally, these are great items to slap a logo on, and a high-quality thermos or flask can even be offered as a high-tier reward for loyal patrons.
When it comes to mugs and thermoses, however, you do need to make sure their design is interesting, and that they are actually usable as products. Customers won’t buy anything that looks tacky or leaks in their bag, no matter how great the coffee is that’s in it.
13. Coffee Beans and Equipment
Speaking of great coffee, coffee fans are always sure to buy quality beans straight from their favorite shop so they can enjoy brewing at their own time. By offering whole bean coffee by the pound, you make more sales and move your inventory at the same time.
Great coffee should be brewed with quality equipment, and what better way to promote sales than to sell accessories, such as filters, drippers, and coffee grinders?
If you have enough coffee enthusiasts on your hands, you can even try holding workshops on how to brew coffee correctly, as well as the different types of brews and which beans are responsible for which flavors.
There’s no need to worry about customers not stopping in for coffee as long as you price your options properly and your costs are kept to a minimum. This way, you can still turn a profit even if your patrons only show up to buy beans rather than the actual coffee.
One way to balance it is by having a limited number of bags to sell, as well as by selling this extra product in your inventory only for a certain amount of time. Limiting the bean variety also helps in this regard.
14. Souvenirs Are an Interesting Option for Coffee Shop Merchandise
Is your coffee shop located at or near a tourist spot? If that’s the case, they might stop by for a hot cup and a quick break after all that sightseeing. Here, having the right eye-catching selection of local souvenirs and trinkets can really make the difference when it comes to driving sales.
When done right, these souvenirs will make your coffee shop memorable and tourists are more likely to recommend you to their friends, spreading your brand far and wide by word of mouth.
Knowing Your Customers’ Tastes and Preferences When Deciding What to Sell in Your Coffee Shop
What else can you sell in your coffee shop? The short answer is “anything besides coffee”.
However, when the sky’s the limit, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the number of choices you can go with. You can also drown the customer in too many items that will make a general goods store jealous – or worse, take up precious inventory space. Luckily, this doesn’t have to be the case.
The best way to cut down on any long list of items you can sell is by looking into your customers’ tastes and preferences. With a little bit of market research, you can figure out what your customers like to see being sold along with coffee, and it’s these little things that can make or break a business.
To get started, here are some things you will definitely want to keep in mind:
- Who are your customers? Start by taking note of things like age, gender, family size, education level, occupation, and so on. Which demographic holds the best market that can cater to your business?
- What is your target market? Try to picture the ideal customer. What are their lifestyle patterns and hobbies? Where do they spend most of their time? Would they feel comfortable spending time in your coffee shop?
If you’re just starting out, location and foot traffic are especially important criteria to consider, since they help in determining a business’s peak hours. This will also give you an idea of what hours to operate and what products to sell along with your coffee, whether it’s a breakfast sandwich for the rushing salaryman or a selection of cocktails to be enjoyed after hours.
The same can also be said in terms of merchandise. Practical products have a universal appeal, and busy cafe-goers who happen to be in a hurry are more willing to take the first item that’s readily available.
Your Marketing Strategy and You
Now that you have a few ideas on what kind of additional merchandise to sell, you need to know the best way to sell it to your customers. While word-of-mouth advertising and flyers are tested and proven methods, they can only get you so far.
The best way to get your business out there is to optimize both your digital and physical presence and like a great piece of music, it’s all about hitting the right notes.
Here are a few ways you can go around it:
- Social media – Don’t be content to stay on just one social media platform – utilize them all! Facebook and Twitter both let you create accounts specifically to promote your business, and Instagram is a great way for customers to peruse the coffee and coffee-related products you sell.
- User-driven content – Encourage customers to post pictures and use your brand’s personal hashtag. The hashtag is especially important if you’re on Facebook since Twitter recently veered away from using them. When you do, be sure to use only up to three to avoid being seen by platform algorithms as spam.
- Effective video – When text and pictures aren’t enough to advertise, a video with good production quality is a great tool to captivate your target audience. Aside from showcasing the highlights of your coffee shop, video ads can also tell a very compelling story.
- Influencers – Having local celebrities or brand influencers endorse your coffee shop is a great way to get your business out to more people, especially since they have their own dedicated followings and can have a relatively wider reach on various platforms.
Once you decide to promote your coffee shop, keep in mind that you’re not just advertising the coffee or the ancillary products – you’re also advertising your brand.
Understanding the Power of Merchandise
Your brand is just as important as your sales, and when you want to give them a reminder that brings a smile to their face, you don’t just need effective products and advertising – you also need effective merchandise.
In a nutshell, merch comes down to any ancillary product that bears the business’s logo or slogan. They are both products and advertisements at the same time, and anyone who sees it will associate it with your brand, and therefore, your business.
Evergreen items you’ll see as merchandise will most likely include at least one from the following list of items for a limited time period:
- Mugs/Thermoses/Flasks
- Shirts/Hoodies
- Stationery
- Keychains
- Bags
There’s also a good chance you might own one of these with the logo prominently displayed, whether it’s a mug from a workshop or a band shirt from a concert. With coffee and coffee shops, the same principle applies.
Shirts, mugs, and stationery aren’t just added items that you can place on the counter for an added boost in sales, but a powerful way to really get your brand out there when well executed. Here are a few tips on how you can get started:
- Choosing the right kind of merchandise – This is where that market research mentioned earlier really comes in handy since it lets you know your customers’ tastes and preferences. If you’re not sure and decide to play it safe, go with the evergreen items previously mentioned.
- Take advantage of impulse buys – As a rule of thumb, it never hurts to go with placing small items like keychains, coffee bags, or scented candles near the register. Placing these inexpensive items here makes it easier for customers to buy them impulsively at the last second.
- Keep supplies limited – There are many reasons why you want to keep limited stock on certain products. One reason is to keep them from taking up that inventory space if they don’t sell well. Another is that switching up merchandise by selling different varieties keeps customers interested.
- Keep sales short – Your merchandise is valuable, which is why you need to keep sales on all your products, coffee or otherwise, for a very limited period. The best way to go about this is by timing your sales around specific holidays, seasons, or events since scarcity is what makes discounts effective.
- Keep things fresh – Sometimes you literally need to keep things fresh (such as food or ingredients), while other times it means pulling them off the shelves if they’re not selling. Products on display, especially merchandise, should be eye-catching enough to draw curious customers in and should be changed regularly.
When considering all of these, it helps to understand that these elements are at their most effective when they work with each other rather than compete. They are cohesive and are there in service to the brand.
You should also pay attention to the visual design if you want to add merchandise for your coffee shop. Even a simple logo against a blank background goes a long way into conveying the message of your brand.
Selecting Interesting Merchandise for Your Coffee Business
Coffee is a great product to sell and a great business to get into, not just because of its wide appeal, but also because of how versatile it can be when it comes to branding.
Depending on the idea that you’re going for, a cup of coffee is a way to relax with a good book, or it can be a way to stay heightened and alert during an arduous cycling route. It goes great with a full meal or a light snack, and it can be a great conversation piece, much like a painting.
What makes your cafe stand out is how you package the product and how it’s presented. This makes questions like “Who are you appealing to? “ and “How much do you think they will appreciate the branding?” crucial to your business’s success.
At the end of the day, finding the right products for your coffee shop really comes down to finding your target customers knowing what they want, and tailoring your brand to fit the demographic.
Good luck and get brewing!