Americans love coffee. This isn’t mere speculation or even a sweeping generalization. Coffee sales have been on a steady rise over the past decade and the United States has remained on the top of the pecking order when it comes to most coffee imported in any given year. Independent coffee shops, to boot, are seeing a major comeback as more and more people find something personal to love in every unique shop. When you have stocking to do and new customers to bring in, you’re likely already asking what you can’t be caught without.
Fun Facts
Did you know the average American will drink a cup and a half of coffee every day? Needless to say…that’s a lot of coffee. The United States’ dedication to a cup of joe is almost legendary, with many attributing it to a fast working environment always in need of something robust. Coffee has plenty of caffeine to lift sleepy lids, but that’s certainly not the only benefit. Studies have shown three to five cups of coffee per day can actually slow the cognitive decline associated with aging and put off the development of Alzheimer’s or dementia.
Cups With Lids
Any coffee shop functioning without cups with lids is begging to be pushed into obscurity. Coffee is often consumed during breakfast hours (at 65% of a recent survey) and, as such, will often see people grabbing a cup while on their way to work or school. Cups with lids make it easy for customers to mix in whatever’s necessary to make the cup all their own without the fear of spillage. But what will they stir the drink with?
Stir Sticks
Wooden stir sticks are a rather unique item that are used primarily in coffee shops. That doesn’t make them any less important, however, and should be implemented into your store if you haven’t gotten around to it. They’re quaint, easy-to-use and are much less messy than a traditional spoon. Although around 35% of Americans prefer their coffee black, the rest are prone to adding sugar or cream to their cup to create a creamy or sweet result. This leads us to the next part of our list…
Sugar And Cream
How Americans make their coffee can guide your hand toward buying all the right supplies to stock your store with. Adding sugar and cream is the most popular option by a landslide and many customers will outright avoid stores that don’t have easy creamer cups and sugar packets to grab on the way out. Independent coffee shops will still sell 30% of espresso-based drinks, however, and a delicious mocha or smooth latte shouldn’t be neglected. When it comes down to it, you should have a little bit of everything.
Hot Soup
Thinking of expanding to food? You’ll want to choose hot soup, then. Americans consume a collective 10 billion bowls of soup every year and, interestingly enough, women are actually twice as likely to order soup for lunch than men. When you think about it, soup is a great meal that is easy to eat, extremely healthy and a warm pick-me-up during the winter months. Last year saw 30% of deli operations concentrating on their soup stations, so there’s nothing wrong with staying ahead of the curve and adding a hot soup container to your shopping list.
Cups with lids, stir sticks and soup cups. At the end of the day, Americans just want something tasty, healthy and portable. Will you offer them the best?