World champion Fritz Storm tells you why boutique coffee is so expensive for consumers.

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Why is boutique coffee so expensive for consumers? Is it acceptable and sustainable to sell in a coffee shop five times more expensive than a supermarket? Let the world champion Fritz Storm tell you.

1.

-Talking about pricing. Why does specialty coffee have to be so expensive for the consumer?

Is it sustainable to sell coffee in the coffee-shops for up to 5 times more than the supermarket?

I guess most roasters and baristas will say yes of course it is ok, our coffee is worth it and expensive to get.

If we look at it on a broader scale, I believe that most part of the regular consumer, which is probable around 90% of the population, are saying that it is too expensive, that hey actually prefer their "normal" coffee.

This is not because of ignorance, but more the fact that they simply not enjoy our very strange flavors and aromas, compared with their regular industrial coffee!

Let's move on to the price.

Why is boutique coffee so expensive for consumers? Is it acceptable and sustainable to sell in a coffee shop five times more expensive than a supermarket? I guess most bakers will say to baristas, of course, our coffee is worth this price!

But if we use the general public's point of view, regarding the price balance, I believe about 90% of consumers will say that this price is too high. They usually prefer "ordinary" coffee, not because consumers ignore it or don't know how to taste it. The fact is that ordinary commercial coffee has been able to meet the needs of consumers, they do not enjoy the strange flavor and aroma that we care about.

2.

-There were a study here in Denmark that showed that around half of those who blind-

Tasted a specialty coffee and a regular industrial coffee, actually preferred the industrial coffee. So what does this tell us? That we forget where the customers are right now, that ifwe want to connect with more people, we need to look at the way we approach our guests.

How we settle our price for our products, and also what range of coffees and products weare offering. Ask ourselves WHY we are doing it the way we are.

In a study conducted in Denmark, about half of the subjects showed a preference for commercial coffee when tested blindly. What does this tell us? We have forgotten what stage consumers are in now!

If we want to connect with more people, we need to find a way to get close to our guests! We must ask ourselves how we price our products, what coffee items, types, etc., and why we do so!

3.

-As I said in my previous article we need to take some steps back and start from there.

Looking at how we can attract more new guests to our shops, what language we speak to them.

Most people (and thereby most of our potential customers) are in general very curious, we have to tell something that actually make sense to them, use words that they understand, and roast it in a way that is enjoyable also for them.

Then we can begin a journey together. Does that have to mean that we go back in quality. I believe some will say yes, but I will look at it differently. In my opinion it is necessary, if we on a broad scale will lift the awareness on quality in coffee, and have more people drinking specialty coffee.

We could also have a couple of different qualities instead of only the best. Hereby we also build bridge to the consumer.

-as I did in my last article (link: world champion Fritz Storm wrote a letter about "Coffee Industry & baristas Community", standing on the shoulders of giants!) As I said, we need to take a few steps back and think from there as a starting point.

We need to find out how to attract more new customers to the store and how to communicate with them. Most people (and they may be our potential guests) are curious, and we have to communicate with them with what is reasonable to them, with words that everyone understands, and with a baking style that everyone can enjoy the flavor of coffee. So that we can start the coffee journey together!

Does this mean that we have to compromise on quality? I'm sure some people will say yes, but I see this from a different point of view. From a longer-term perspective of time and space, if a slight compromise on quality can enhance consumers' awareness of quality and attract more people to drink boutique coffee, I will do so. In the store, we do not only provide the best coffee, we can appropriately increase the choice of different quality coffee. In this way, we can also build bridges with consumers.

4.

-What guests really don't like is being cheated or fooled. When they feel that they are paying for something they didn't order or don't like.

This is bad, because this will make our potential large group of customers, hesitate to come back to the new coffee shops. Further more they will also as speak negatively to other people about their experience.

When guests pay for something they don't order or don't like, they feel cheated and fooled. And this will make a large number of potential customers hesitate to go to the new coffee shop. Even in the future they will tell others about the negative feelings brought about by their past experiences.

5.

-We need to embrace our guests much more and hold their hands when they enter the first couple of times. Make sure that they feel welcomed and that we serve them someting that is understandable, likable and affordable.

When guests enter the store for the first time, we need to hug them more and even hold their hands to make them feel welcome and get understandable, liked and affordable products.

Note: this does not really refer to physical hugs and handshakes, but more to the cordial reception of guests.)

6.

-When all this is said I of course still believe it is important that the Specialty Coffee world keep being the driving force for quality, that we keep being the innovators. Therefore also keep doing things that the average consumer most likely will have difficulties with understanding.

But I strongly believe that both things should be possible for us.

Coming up is more on my view on competition and competitors.

As I said earlier, I still believe that boutique coffee is a very important driver of coffee quality, and we are innovators in the boutique coffee industry. Rising quality and innovation will make it more difficult for mass consumers to understand boutique coffee.

But I firmly believe that it is possible for us to maintain quality and make it easy for consumers to understand.