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Sales at a self-service coffee shop are not luck and not chance. Even if the location is chosen correctly and the coffee is delicious, customers won't start lining up on their own. But that doesn't mean you have to spend hundreds of thousands on advertising — we share tips on how to boost sales at a self-service coffee shop using simple, straightforward methods.
Make the coffee shop noticeable — in the literal sense of the word
If the coffee point blends into its surroundings, people simply walk past it. No amount of advertising will help if it can't be seen in the first place. Make sure the spot is visible from a distance and that it's clear to a person that what they're looking at is a place to grab coffee — not to withdraw cash or reach an information desk.
What helps:
If the spot is in a shopping mall, housing branding and wayfinding will help. If it's in a university, stickers by the schedules and in group chats. In a business center, stickers in the elevator and a sign at reception.
Show that the coffee here is decent and good
One of the strongest biases is that "coffee from a machine tastes bad." Even if that's not true, a person won't find out until they try it. So marketing's job is not to "push" but to show: this isn't a powdered drink for 150 rubles, it's proper, quality coffee.
How to do it:
Offer a small but clear benefit
Discounts, promotions and bonuses work if they're simple and consistent. People don't need ten conditions; the main thing is for the bonus to be obtainable without any special effort.
What you can do:
All of these mechanics can be set up through DrinkX Cloud — without complicated settings or manual tracking.
Make it easier to come back
One cup is good. But even if a person liked it, they may never think of your coffee corner again. That means you need to remind them about yourself.
How to help people come back:
Work locally, not into outer space
Online advertising barely works for coffee shops in business centers, universities or malls, whereas local actions work great — for example:
Raise the average check — simply and honestly
Many people are willing to pay more if they understand what they're paying for. For example:
All of these offers can be changed in a couple of clicks in DrinkX Cloud, with no interface rework.
Listen to those who are already with you
Nothing works better than real feedback. There's no need to collect long questionnaires — a couple of questions is enough to understand what people like and what they don't.
How to collect feedback:
Even a single comment can affect sales.
To sum up
How to boost sales at a self-service coffee shop:
Marketing isn't about "creativity" and banners. It's about attention to detail, a human approach and the desire to do a little better than yesterday. The coffee will do the rest for you.
