Fuel giant BP has developed a version of its popular Wild Bean Cafe concession specifically for independent shop owners.
The new ‘micro market’ concept has grown coffee sales in stores by more than 60% and was created as a modular system, allowing retailers to expand or reduce the types of products they serve under the Wild Bean brand. At 90cm wide, the main coffee unit is around the same size as a standard Costa Coffee machine.
The different self-serve modular units to be made available to independent shops include coffee, fresh blended iced drinks, smoothies, juices and milkshakes – a total of 54 varieties of drinks and flavours. Hot service options include pastries and other fresh and hot food to go baked on site.
BP’s UK dealer manager, Andy Allen, told RN: “We found that quite often our company-owned forecourts were more of a standard shape and size, and have a larger space for us to put in a serve-over coffee offering. To compete more readily with other offers out there, we needed something that had a self-serve focus.
“We launched the coffee unit first and expanded into other modules. This allowed us to pick the right equipment for the right location.”
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When asked what benefit the concept brings, Allen revealed: “It’s amazing what the combination of coffee and food can do for sales. In a lot of cases, we’ve added the food proposition when the coffee offer has already been there. We’ve seen coffee sales of over 80 cups per day, increasing coffee sales by 60%.”
Allen also stressed the concept is working “very well in transient locations”. He went on to explain the intention is for the retailers to eventually have all the products sold in the concept, provided by one supplier.
Check out a detailed view of the units in the video below
Approved retailers will have access to a trade loan from BP to help with financing the equipment. “We help to spread the cost of everything over the five-year agreement,” he said. “The standard of the equipment is really important to us, and it’s the same we put into our company-owned stores.” All equipment also comes with a full five-year licence agreement.
When asked what criteria stores need to meet to be considered, Allen explained: “We aren’t limited too much. The dealer would roughly need a metre-squared to house at least one of the units, as well as an internet connection and some back-end space to put the oven to bake off pastries.”
Wastage remains a priority for BP. Allen added: “We use sophisticated back-office tools that over time will accurately tell retailers how many products to bake off at certain times of the day, to help cut wastage.”
Although the firm is currently focused on franchising the concept in forecourts, Allen said: “We would be happy to have a conversation with any dealer who wants to talk to us about our proposition.”
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