Along with higher-end full-service restaurants, bars/pubs was one of the major victims of the pandemic that emerged in Finland in March 2020, leading to double-digit declines in value sales and transactions. In the spring of 2020, all non-captive consumer foodservice establishments were forced to close for eat-in services for almost two months, which was followed by regional restrictions (when deemed necessary) based on the number of infections.
While both cafés and specialist coffee shops also suffered from declining sales in 2020, chained operators showed greater resilience compared to bars/pubs. For instance, leading chained specialist coffee shop Espresso House recorded low declines in value sales terms in 2020, and was able to fully recover in 2021.
In late 2020, Espresso House and the smaller Green Hippo both launched their coffee offers as subscription services as part of strategies to expand their consumer reach during the pandemic, and support sales. The most developed of these is leading specialist coffee chain Espresso House, which after its initial launch, expanded to offer three different monthly cards which function with the Espresso House mobile app.
As the largest channel, bars/pubs influenced the overall performance of within cafés/bars in Finland during the pandemic. Due to the severity of the declines in 2020, this means that overall value sales (at constant 2021 prices) are unlikely to fully recover until 2026.
The hybrid working model, whereby employees divide their working week between the office and the home, offers strong opportunities for cafés and in particular, specialist coffee shops if they make an effort to make remote workers feel welcome. For instance, the offer of monthly passes/subscriptions such as those from Espresso House, comfortable tables for working with a laptop, not signalling that a remote worker is spending too long in the outlet or consuming too little, should foster stronger consumer sentiment towards these establishments.
While cafés located at petrol stations tend to offer traditional filter coffee, there is a growing interest in specific varieties of coffee that is fuelling the demand for specialist coffee shops, with the latter predicted to return to the dynamic double-digit value growth witnessed pre-pandemic. Monthly passes from operators offering a wide range of options can further boost customer retention by rewarding loyalty.
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Cafés/Bars
This category encompasses all establishments where the focus is on drinking (either alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages). While a wide variety of snacks and full meals are offered, it is not uncommon for consumers to only order a drink. As a general rule, establishments deriving 50% of their income or more from the sale of drinks are included here.
See All of Our DefinitionsThis report originates from Passport, our Cafés/Bars research and analysis database.
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