The National Coffee Association reports the number of Americans claiming to drink coffee rose from 78 percent in 2012 to 83 percent in 2013. A five percent increase in the number of coffee drinkers in the United States in a year is solid proof that coffee is a popular drink, and there is huge potential for businesses who bring coffee into the work place by participating n new programs in the the businesses like the still untapped office coffee service industry.
Consider the successes of coffee businesses like Starbucks who have had great success by taking advantage of technological advances that make it possible to launch coffee loyalty programs customers can sign up for on their smartphones. Coffee companies know that more than half of American cellphone users have smartphones. It only makes sense that they take advantage of the potential of mobile loyalty programs.
Colloquy statistics offer proof of that success. Between 2010 and 2012, membership in American coffee loyalty programs grew by 26.7 percent, resulting in 2.65 billion total coffee loyalty programs in the nation by 2012. Starbucks started their perks program six years ago. The program gives registered members free drink refills, use of in-store WiFi, and it lets them add flavored syrups to their drinks at no extra cost. Caribou started a similar program in January of 2014. Other smaller coffee companies are starting their own programs.
Mobile coffee loyalty programs have yet to catch in vending machines yet, but in 2013, two companies, Isis and USA Technologies, introduced a coffee loyalty program for vending machines. The program encourages mobile phone users to pay for their drinks with their smartphones. The program gives participants a free drink after buying four drinks in a vending machine and paying for them via smartphone.
Vending machine can be a very lucrative form of business. The ease of service and minimal disruption are also important benefits for businesses. Profitability is directly linked to how well the machines work, and whether there are disruptions in service because of breakdowns and missing parts. The best way to make sure interruptions are short-lived is by making sure that the business stocks all necessary coffee vending machine parts, drink machine parts, or snack vending machine parts.
