How is buying coffee in supermarkets changing?

While light roast coffee is popular with specialty consumers who prefer a unique and complex flavor; dark roast coffee is often consumed by "classic" coffee consumers, especially those who add milk and sugar to their beverage. This last group of traditional coffee consumers has a greater inclination to buy coffee in supermarkets, compared to specialty consumers, who most of the time buy directly from roasters.

Single origin, light roast coffees are starting to appear in supermarkets. In theory, this would have paved the way for small specialty coffee roasters to enter supermarkets. However, why aren't your products on the shelves?

A critical factor for selling in supermarkets is freshness. Shelf life is a fundamental aspect, because since the product usually goes through a long supply chain and remains next to competing products on a shelf for weeks, if not months; longer shelf life is desirable.

Fresh roasted coffee is not a common product in the larger supermarket chains. However, some have managed to shorten their supply chain, being more efficient in the sale of this type of coffee.

On the other hand, small roasters often build their brand around the "romance" or narrative behind the beans they sell. For this reason, in most cases, they demand a premium price. By not being flexible with their profit margin, supermarkets don't see their beans as a worthwhile investment. On the contrary, they perceive a scenario in which they try to enter a market that hardly compensates for the low profit margins, since the potential for sales volume is very small.