“On Special” is a monthly look at top store categories and the retailers that specialize in them.
Whether its cold brew or drip, espresso or instant coffee, shoppers’ morning routines have shifted as more people work from home, with many investing in pricey appliances that signal a long-term shift to at-home brewing.
This has been good news for the packaged coffee industry, which has seen year-over-year sales gains along with other center store departments. It’s also provided a much-needed lift to Whole Foods, whose roots in organic, specialty coffee run deep. Dark and medium ground coffee has led the way in sales for Whole Foods recently, category merchant Julie Bandin said. But shoppers have also shown they’re willing to try new things like making cold brew and stirring up whipped coffee.
Some notable changes in the grocer’s private label coffee, including a packaging rebrand, have also boosted sales, said Bandin. The result is a…
