We surveyed 850 Australians to better understand their coffee habits, you can read the full breakdown here: What do Australians really think about coffee prices?.
One standout result: almost a third of people (30%) that own an espresso machine told us they prefer to buy their coffee beans directly from cafes to brew at home. Yet many cafes still aren’t leaning into taking beans and other retail products seriously.
Why retail shelves matter
Shelf space in a cafe is at a premium and it’s often limited. The space needs to make money. Stocking retail coffee is one of the simplest and highest margin ways to do that. If your shelves are filled with low margin items or clutter, they aren’t working as hard for you as they could.
We’ve written before about making your shelves more effective in Attention cafe owners: your retail shelves need to have prices on them and Boosting cafe retail sales and customer experience.
The trust factor: your baristas are your best salespeople
Your baristas are already trusted voices in your business. They make the coffee, they know the flavour profiles and customers see them as experts. That puts them in the perfect position to recommend coffee for home.
When a barista says, “If you like this blend in your flat white, it goes great in your home espresso or even a mokapot…” it doesn’t sound like a sales pitch, just advice from someone who knows what they are talking about.
Training your team to talk about coffee at home confidently and giving them a chance to taste and brew at home themselves will also turn them into your most effective retail sales advocates.
From a $5.5 coffee to a $65 sale
A flat white in Australia should cost a minimum of $5.50 (The rising price of coffee and why it’s worth it). That same moment can become a $65 sale when a guest decides to take home a kilo of beans.
Selling beans doesn’t cannibalise in store sales, the opposite, it’ll boost them. Customers who brew at home are more connected to your cafe, not less. They will come back more often because they feel part of your community.
Convenience is king
When customers are ready to buy beans, they want it to be easy. Supermarkets might have options and discounts, but cafes win on freshness, trust and convenience. Guests are already in your venue, already enjoying your product and already engaged with your team.
Make beans visible, priced clearly and easy to grab on the way out. That simple act of convenience can turn a casual flat white customer into a loyal flat white and bean customer.
Don’t underestimate single origins and seasonal coffees
Yes, in Australia, less than 10% of customers enjoy their coffee as a black (without milk) espresso, long black or filter. However, this is growing. Single origin coffee tastes great as black coffee but some of them taste unique and delicious in milk also. Single origin, micro lots and super special coffee such as our expedition program also signal to your customers that you take coffee seriously. Anecdotally, many a time, a customer tastes a delicious coffee and then decides to buy a bag of it for themselves or their friends.
Practical steps to lift retail coffee sales:
- Placement: Position beans where customers can see them, ideally near the register or pickup counter.
- Clarity: Pricing should be clear and visible. No one should have to ask.
- Staff prompts: Encourage your team to naturally mention coffee for home. For example: “If you enjoyed that single origin, we have bags available on the shelf too.”
- Seasonal offers: Use signage or menu notes to highlight limited releases or new single origins.
Final thought
Cafe Teams already work incredibly hard to deliver great coffee and hospitality experiences every day. The challenge is making sure your space works just as hard for you. Stocking beans on your shelves is one way to do that, a small shift that builds loyalty, drives new revenue and meets a demand your customers are already telling us exists.
Our survey findings are clear: Australians want to buy beans directly from the cafes they trust. This is just one of many insights we’ll continue to share to help you strengthen your cafe business and community.
If you’d like advice on setting up or improving retail coffee sales in your venue, our Cafe Network team would love to help. Explore our Cafe Partnership Program →
