Coffee can be paired with a bookstore for marketing opportunities.
Coffee shops and bookstores make a natural marketing partnership; for many customers, there is nothing better than a hot cup of coffee as they browse through a stack of books. As you introduce a coffee bar into your bookstore, consider ways to use it as a marketing tool to attract new customers and provide added benefit for existing customers.
Fair Trade Coffee
If your bookstore has a customer base that is interested in social issues, activism and socially conscious activities, you can introduce fair trade coffee brands. In your marketing materials, focus on the fair trade idea as evidence that you support the cause for equitable business practices around the world. For extra marketing power, promote other socially and environmentally friendly practices, such as recycling, to let customers know that you are on the same wavelength. People who are interested in this type of issue are more likely to patronize a shop with the same values.
Customer Loyalty Card
Many coffee shops offer punch cards that give customers a free drink after the purchase of a certain number of regular-priced drinks. Use a variation of this idea, which is familiar to customers and encourages repeat business, by offering a book and coffee punch card. Include spaces for five coffees and five books; when the card is full, the customer can get a discount on a book and a free cup of coffee. Each time a customer reaches this point, give them a coupon for a discount on their next cup of coffee to encourage them to come back in or hand it off to a friend.
Encourage Reading
Market your bookstore as a comfortable, homey place where customers are welcome to stay as long as they like; this is particularly important for small stores that are looking to compete with larger chains. By including a coffee bar in your bookstore and placing comfortable chairs around the area, you can encourage customers to have a cup of coffee while they flip through a new book; this also increases the chances that they will purchase something they've started. Be sure your employees do not harass customers, and encourage customers to read through books and magazines while they're in the store.
Add Additional Products
Because many bookstore customers pop in on short breaks, increase your market value by offering extra products to make the most of their time. Draw customers into your store by marketing the option to get a small meal or dessert while they browse; by adding sandwiches or bakery items to the menu, you can give customers the opportunity to stop in on their lunch break. Market this service on fliers, by posting a menu in the store window and on advertisements in print and on the radio.
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