Page 27 - Demo

She adds that they also sell “a range of Common Good environmentally friendly coffee cups that display positive messages for the pleasure of the end user, adding a pick me up! to their pick-me-up”. “These cups are lined with a plant- based bioplastic made from corn,” she said. Common Good insulated travel cups are also available, with $1 from every cup sold being donated to mental health and wellbeing support organisation Beyond Blue. Additionally, “we collaborate with aligning brands like Serenitea – we distribute their Fairtrade and ethically-sourced tea”. “We sell a range of traditional and bean-to-cup machines, partnering with some of the best in the business, such as Melitta Coffee Solutions for automatic coffee machines, and have a range of traditional coffee machines to suit all budgets,” Ms Greaney said. Distribution of The Common Good Coffee Company’s products isn’t limited to cafés. “We sell to petrol stations, convenience blocks, cafés, roadhouses and online to the domestic market,” Ms Greaney said. Beyond filling a coffee cup While offering a large selection of coffee-related products that help boost coffee sales, the company’s team hold their values close, Ms Greaney says. “We wanted to be more than just another coffee brand,” she said. “We wanted to create an emotional connection to coffee, to encourage people to feel good about themselves. Our tagline is ‘feel good inside’. “One of the most powerful ways to make people feel good about themselves is to help others in need. “We stand behind these beliefs and donate $1 from every kilo of coffee sold to Beyond Blue.” Touching on the mental health organisation, Ms Greaney said: “In our society, mental health conditions are so common, currently three million Australians are living with anxiety or depression. “Sadly, most of us have known someone who has suffered from a mental illness. “Beyond Blue is a charity that’s very close to my chest, as I lost my own dad to mental health. “For him, seeking help was a sign of "We wanted to be more than just another coffee brand." weakness, so he suffered in silence. Raising awareness and encouraging people to speak out about mental health help to break down the stigma.” The Common Good Coffee Company also takes pride in providing environmentally friendly products that encourage sustainability. “Our environmentally-friendly takeaway coffee cups also reflect this belief,” Ms Greaney said. “Common Good cups are like no other, attractive in nature, splashing with our signature sky blue while displaying messages of inspiration for the pleasure of your coffee consumer.” She adds that the inner wall of the company’s coffee cups is coated with corn-based bioplastic from the Ingeo brand, which she describes as “a sustainable plant-based alternative to traditional plastic-lined coffee cups”. Trending topics and future predictions Ms Greaney says hot-dispensed coffee is among the major trends now impacting the industry, and has been “one of the fastest growing categories over the past few years”. “Consumers look for quality and consistency,” she said. “Statistics reveal that the quality of coffee served is one of the biggest motivating factors for consumers for choosing where they shop. “While quality and consistency are key, we’ve also seen a rise in hot chocolate and tea.” Ms Greaney refers to research that has found 38 per cent of surveyed shoppers are looking for hot chocolate and 30 per cent for tea. “We believe that you really need to have all these products available for customers to have a credible coffee in-store offer,” she said. Throughout 2020, the coffee industry showed great resilience, Ms Greaney says, adding that she commends cafés on their efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic so far. “Takeaway has become the new normal,” she said. “Online sales of coffee beans and domestic coffee machines has also increased dramatically. “The petrol and convenience sector has proven to be a recession-proof market, with more and more retailers becoming the one-stop shop for coffee, fuel and grocery items. We saw an increase in coffee sales and also coffee machine sales in the last quarter of 2020.” Looking ahead, Ms Greaney points to dairy-free milk as “a rapidly growing trend for the health-conscious customer”. “Almond and soy have been the key drivers in the past,” she said. “The popularity of oat milk is on the rise, and I predict that will be huge in 2021. I also \[believe\] there’ll be a push from customers looking for more products that are Australian made, from Australian-owned companies.” The Common Good Coffee Company’s goal, Ms Greaney says, is to continue its work in connecting petrol and convenience stores to quality coffee, encourage sustainability and support those doing good. “We’ll continue to raise awareness for Beyond Blue and mental health,” she said. “Our target thus far is $20,000 by the end of Q1 2021. We’re on track to reach this.” CAFÉ CONVENIENCE The business is built around four pillars: • A sustainable future. • Caring is contagious. • Bringing people together. • Spreading generosity. Donations to Beyond Blue can be made at thecommongoodcoffee.com. Beyond Blue offers 24/7 support on 1300 22 4636, or beyondblue.org.au. JAN/FEB, 2021 CONVENIENCE WORLD 25