Dive Brief:
- Stewart’s Shops has launched a coffee subscription plan, allowing customers to have bagged coffee or the company’s “S-cups” for pod-based coffee makers mailed to their home at regular intervals, a company spokesperson said via email.
- Customers can order either S-cups for $7.99 per box of 12 single-serve cups or a 12-ounce bag of ground coffee for $6.79. Those who sign up for a full-year subscription get a 10% discount off the retail price.
- Subscriptions are becoming increasingly common in the convenience retail industry, encompassing everything from car washes to coffee and French fries.
Dive Insight:
Stewart’s coffee customers can have deliveries set up to come every week, every other week or every month, a company spokesperson said via email.
S-cups are available in six flavors — house blend, richer roast, decaf, blueberry, hazelnut and French vanilla, while the company’s bagged coffee is currently available in house blend and richer roast. When selecting a coffee variety online, shoppers will be asked if this will be a one-time purchase, a subscription or a prepaid subscription that includes the 10% discount.
Stewart’s rolled out the coffee subscription on Cyber Monday to celebrate the one-year anniversary of launching its online merchandise store, according to a company press release. The retailer also added several new items to the shop, including a children’s T-shirt, an ornament and a bobblehead.
Subscriptions can build repeat customers by incentivizing them to regularly engage with a retailer. While the Stewart’s coffee subscription comes through the mail, many others encourage in-store visits. For instance, Warrenton Oil added a car wash subscription to its offerings, joining other companies like Dash In and Circle K.
Beverage subscriptions are also popular. Parker’s debuted its Chewy’s Drink Club in March, joining others like Circle K’s “Sip and Save” club and Sheetz’ drink subscription.
Sheetz also offers a subscription program for French fries, where customers pay $10 per month to be eligible to get a bag of fries every two hours.
Stewart’s isn’t the only one using subscriptions to keep customers engaged from their homes. C-store leader 7-Eleven offers a subscription delivery service.
Ballston Spa, New York-based Stewart’s Shops owns and operates more than 350 locations in New York and Vermont. The company, which was founded in 1945, also runs its own dairy and is well known for its ice cream selection.
