Subscriptions are the ultimate win-win: customers get their favorite coffee delivered automatically, and you get predictable, recurring revenue. No more crossing your fingers that enough orders come in.
But if you’re not careful, these subscriptions can also be a constant source of headaches!
Too many frequency options? Your production schedule turns into a jigsaw puzzle. Rotating coffees too fast? You're drowning in logistics and constant system updates. Discounting too deeply? Your margins disappear.
At RoasterTools, we've worked with hundreds of roasters and discovered something important: the most successful subscription programs aren't the most complex ones. We've seen elaborate setups with barely any subscribers, and we've seen simple programs shipping hundreds of orders weekly. Turns out, simplicity scales.
In this guide, we'll show you how to build (or update) a subscription program that grows your business without adding stress to your operation.
You’ll learn how to:
By the end, you’ll have the information you need to launch, maintain, and (most importantly) scale your coffee subscription program.
Arguably, one of the most common pitfalls we see roasters encounter is offering too many subscription frequency choices.
Yes, you want customers to order frequently - but having too many choices complicates the ordering process. And, as you’ll see soon, too many different ordering timelines can cause havoc for your production processes.
This is why we recommend opting for the following ordering frequencies:
With a combination of these weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly subscriptions flowing into your roasting queue, you’ll have a solid subscription cash flow to rely on.
Coffee subscriptions typically come in one of two formats:
The key to a successful subscription program is to structure it in a manner that can scale. And, recurring order subscriptions are the perfect (and easy) way to accomplish this—by providing your customer with their favorite coffee on an automated basis. Your roastery enjoys a predictable revenue stream, while the customer doesn’t have to remember to place each order.
Recurring coffee subscriptions are commonly available on best-selling blends, but they can be easily applied to any of consistently available coffee products. We also recommend offering a recurring order on any size bag that you’re selling.
Curated coffee subscriptions, on the other hand, require a bit more strategy in order to be successful, profitable, and scalable, due to the continually changing nature of the subscription.
Some common curated subscriptions are:
To set these up well, you’ll need to consider:
In a subscription that follows a roastery rotation, the roastery decides what products are included in subscriptions for a certain duration, regardless of when a customer begins their subscription.
Because this format gives roasters control over their offerings, is simple to manage, and can scale with ease, we recommend the roastery sets the rotation for curated coffee subscriptions.
Example: Roaster’s Choice Subscription
And so on…
The alternative to this is a customer rotation, where the schedule of coffees begins when the customer places their first order. This setup quickly becomes a confusing time sync that is difficult to scale, which is why we don’t advise this path for roasters.
⭐️ Pro Tip: If you’re selling single origin coffees on a recurring order basis, be sure to properly monitor your green coffee inventory so you can fulfill subscriptions accordingly. We’ve got a tool for that!
We recommend determining the coffees selected for each curated coffee subscription in advance. You’re already making sourcing decisions based on harvest seasonality, anticipated inventory availability, cash flow projections, and other pertinent criteria—extend this strategy to your curated subscriptions.
Selecting coffees in advance gives you ample time to plan and execute on a fun curated subscription for your loyal fans.
When curating coffee subscriptions, roast level must be a consideration. Everyone has their own preferences as it relates to roast levels. Some are adventurous to try various roasts and others won't drink a coffee outside of their preference level. These personal preferences influence a customer’s willingness to subscribe to a product such as a “Roaster’s Choice” subscription. And it can impact their satisfaction with the subscription if it wasn’t clear when they ordered.
When crafting your subscription products, determine if the roast level will remain consistent or if the consumer will receive a variety. This information should be listed in the subscription product description and then guide how you schedule what the coffee selection will be.
Subscriptions that provide curated coffees are dependent on your green coffee sourcing strategy and inventory. As a result, it’s imperative that the subscription frequencies offered to customers align with this strategy.
For instance, if you offer a “Roaster’s Choice” subscription with six rotating coffees on a weekly basis, a customer will run through your entire selection in a month and a half. Instead, consider offering curated subscriptions on a biweekly or monthly basis.
In addition to green sourcing and inventory, you want to review your team’s capacity to manage the subscription changes. Ideally, the smaller the team and more stretched each role is, the less often you should change the offerings.
This approach still provides customers variety while giving your roastery a healthy buffer for your roasting and sourcing needs alike.
Subscribers often expect a benefit in return for committing to a recurring purchase.
Most roasters opt for a 5-10% discount on recurring order subscriptions,. However, don’t slap on this discount without calculating the impact on your profitability. With your existing prices, how much will a 10% discount cut into your margins? Do the math!
👉 If you find that discounting subscription prices isn’t a profitable option for your roastery, it’s time to evaluate your coffee prices overall.Our free eBook will help you reevaluate your prices and set new prices to help you maintain healthy margins.
However, you’re not to give customers a discount. We’d even argue that some subscription products, such as a curated assortment of premium microlots, shouldn’t be discounted. Not only will discounts eat into your margins, but can also diminish the perceived value of the product.
Instead, you can consider offering value through:
At the end of the day, your subscribers are your biggest fans and brand advocates. Yes, you should reward them for their loyalty—but not at the expense of undercutting your margins. You owe it to yourself to take the time to calculate appropriate discounts or offers for your subscription customers.
The success of your coffee subscription program is dependent upon the technology you use to execute it. While your coffee might be superb, if it’s a hassle to purchase and manage a subscription, you’ll have difficulty gaining and retaining customers.
Subscribers should be able to:
Having subscriptions should be a great source of revenue, not headaches. The tool you choose to manage them should help streamline the process by:
Commerce platforms such as Shopify and Squarespace have native subscription features available. There are also many subscription service plug-ins to choose from. Keep in mind that each of these platforms and programs will require a monthly and/or per order fee. This is pertinent information to consider when pricing your coffee subscriptions!
🚨 Do not skip this section!
When choosing subscription software, it is vital that your selection is compatible with the software you use to manage production calculations and fulfill orders. Otherwise, your production team will find themselves pulling double duty by needing to either manually enter or import orders into your production platform.
RoasterTools’ Commerce Connection feature empowers roasters to import their ecommerce subscriptions automatically. This means that as you scale your subscription model, your production processes are always ready to execute.
Plus, RoasterTools allows you to assign a coffee to a specific subscription product. This is crucial when selling a curated subscription product with a rotating assortment of coffees. Being able to assign an Ethiopia natural processed coffee to the “Roaster’s Choice” product one week and then a Kenyan washed coffee the next week is essential for a seamless and headache-free production process!
Subscriptions don’t scale themselves! Making subscriptions available doesn’t guarantee sales and loyal subscribers. It’s up to you to promote your subscription options to new and existing customers and drive new subscriptions sales.
Aside from the obvious social media posts and engagement, you can also advertise your subscriptions through:
👉 Need more promotion inspiration? Check out our guides on promoting your roastery and how you can use AI to fast-track sales and marketing efforts
As the subscriptions start rolling in, roasters must also implement a customer retention strategy. Remember: great coffee isn’t enough to keep a subscriber for the long term!
A customer retention strategy involves actions to encourage customers to continue doing business with them. Some examples include:
Successful subscription programs require constant monitoring. To understand the status of your sales and customer retention efforts, be sure to track:
If you notice your metrics start to decline, this is your chance to talk to subscribers directly! Ask for their honest feedback in exchange for free coffee or a discount on their next order.
Launching a coffee subscription product line is easier than ever. If your roastery is missing out on this vital revenue stream, let this be your sign to get started today!
Wondering how RoasterTools can benefit your coffee roasting business and make offering coffee subscriptions a breeze? Sign up for a free demo and we’ll show you how!
