COVID-19 CHANGES THE REALITY OF THE SPECIAL COFFEE SEGMENT IN BRAZIL
In view of the difficulty they face, many of these micro and small business owners see online sales as an alternative to help sustain their business.
A survey carried out by the Brazilian Association of Specialty Coffees BSCA with its members in these categories shows that members had an average drop of 76.25 in product sales, with the most impacted suffering a reduction of up to 100 in their businesses.ios.
"The niche of excellent coffees is formed mainly by small specialized coffee shops and micro roasters. The closure of the coffee shops has caused a devastating damage to these businesses and has also spilled into the roasters, which provide coffee to them. and salaries granted by MP 936 or even fired their employees ", reveals Vanusia Nogueira, director of BSCA.
According to the entity's survey, the current situation of micro and small businessmen in coffee shops and associated roasters may also reflect on producers. Seventy percent of those surveyed reported that they will not be able to buy the coffees of the new harvest, which will start arriving in May, if their businesses remain at the level that are due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Our segment does not work with large stocks of coffee, but these entrepreneurs will have difficulty making new acquisitions because of this reduction in their sales. For this more special characteristic, of small and focused on the excellence of coffees, many are already concerned with the future They project between one and four months of survival in the market if the scenario does not start to return to normal ", informs the director of BSCA.
WHAT TO DO?
In view of the difficulty they face, many of these micro and small business owners see online sales as an alternative to help sustain their business. On average, the consulted associates reported a growth of 49 in their marketing through the internet, with reports of companies that did not register a difference in the volume traded and others that more than doubled their business through the network. "This impulse from the internet does not cover or compensate for the losses caused by the closing of physical stores, but it does allow for the survival of small cafeterias and microtorrefações", ponders Vanusia..
In order to help its microtore members and independent coffee shops to boost their online sales, BSCA prepared the list with e-commerce contacts and social networks so that interested parties can contact them and request special coffees(check here).
"We know about the financial difficulties that a large part of the population faces, but we also know the Brazilian's love for coffee. To those who can combine this passion with the consumption of the drink, we are pleased to make available the contacts of our associates so that they can receive this support from our population ", concludes the director.
SOLIDARITY AND CREATIVITY
In times when the essential thing is to stay home for those who can, following the recommendation of the World Health Organization WHO due to the pandemic of the new coronavirus, producers, roasters and coffee shops face the difficulty of reconnecting. In this scenario, the Brazilian demonstrates his solidary and creative side and develops some initiatives to enable the connection and survival of coffee growers and entrepreneurs in the specialty coffee niche.s.
These actions take the form of partnerships, which triggered, for example, the Grão Coletivo. This project came up with a group of coffee shops discussing contingency actions in the face of the crisis caused by the pandemic. From these meetings, held in virtual environments, ideas emerged that, put into practice, seek to guarantee the survival of micro and small companies. It was then that it was decided to concentrate these efforts on a single dissemination platform.o.
“The objective is to publicize micro and small businesses, especially coffee shops, their actions, promotions and work and, mainly, to encourage the consumption of specialty coffees, in order to save and reestablish the cash flow of establishments directly impacted by the crisis ", explains Giuliana Bastos, creator of the project, which has about 20 coffee shop owners and microtorrhaffers working voluntarily by the collective, these are companies from 10 states in Brazil, from more than 30 cities, and we are looking for support from the private sector to expand our projects, complete.a.
As a more practical activity, the action Tem tem Ter Café TQT was developed, carried out by the roaster Isto é Café, associated with BSCA. In this project, partner coffee shops receive the profit from the sale of coffee packages that are created exclusively for each one.as.
"The result surprised us. It has helped to burn our stock and, thus, pay our employees and producer producers. In addition, we pass on all the profit from this coffee to partner coffee shops so that they have resources coming in at this moment behind closed doors" , says Felipe Croce, owner of Isso é Café.
Another initiative is Cafeterias Vivas, developed by Caféstore online store in partnership with Espresso magazine. Through the action, brands that are not part of this platform can put their coffees for sale on it, avoiding the bureaucratic process and the expenses that they would have when creating their own website or registering in some delivery application, in addition to benefiting from the reach that the online store has all over Brazil.l.
"We want to contribute in this moment of great challenge so that coffee shops and coffee brands have access to a quick solution in e-commerce to keep part of their operation running, in addition to taking coffees all over Brazil", comments Caio Fontes, co-founder of Caféstore.
Solidary creativity has also been occurring inlives on social media, like the example of the #vivacafe movement. To help coffee shops, this initiative broadcasts to bring relevant information and content to the business. The idea is to inform, instruct and educate about business, current scenario, actions with customers and employees, mental and financial health.
To this end, reference professionals are invited to address the most urgent topics and discuss them. In his profile on Instagram @ vivacafe.br, the initiative brings together retail executives, entrepreneurs, consultants, coffee shop owners, roasting companies, producers, baristas and consumers passionate about coffee who, together, seek solutions for the sector to overcome the crisis.e.
To know the work and dedication of microentrepreneurs to specialty coffees, BSCA offers its contactsCLICKING HERE.
Source: Revista Cafeicultura