A Coffee Shop is worried that you are not having enough fruits

by chee Leng (on coffee makers)
(Singapore)

Tim Horton's Smoothies

And I am not talking about the coffee berries that Tim Hortons would be serving -it is some real fruit smoothies that they would be offering to the Canadians.

I guess it is a global phenomenon, people not having enough healthy snacks. By the way do you know that each person must have at least 7-10 daily servings of fruits and vegetables?

As the report shows, Canadians is not taking in the required servings of healthy snacks, and most of them complained that they do not have time to buy and prepare fruits, so Tim Hortons is helping them by serving them real fruit smoothies.

Priced at an affordable $1.99, add in another $0.70 and they would drop in some vanilla Yogurt as well.

Apparently, according to the research company NPD, this is a big market that is going to grow year on year.

So, by serving smoothies Tim Hortons is opening out another market, another income stream.

Which brings to me to a question I always posed to readers -Is the coffee shop business really about the coffee?

In this situation, don't you think it is a value add to consumers if they can grab a healthy drink on their way to work or home?

Tim Hortons is adding value to the consumers, and in return tapping on a new market to make them more profitable.

Coffee shop is a place where consumers passes by or where consumers relaxed. It is a place where they picked up a variable which they need, be it R&R or a convenient snack.

In some discussion forums, some folks have said that my theory about coffee shop being not about coffee business is flawed.

But, one can see that in order to grow and expand, coffee shops are fast becoming a social interaction point rather than just a place for coffee.

Tim Hortons, Starbucks, Coffee Beans and Tea Leafs are there because they served a value, a variable that consumers is looking for, and it is not necessarily be coffee.

Anyway, I would be happy if my local Singapore coffee shops such as Yakun or Coffee & Toast start serving these healthy snacks as well! Don't you?

MY $0.02.