Coffee wholesaler launches retail website

Edited by the Marketingservicestalk editorial team Mar 5, 2007

The Fair Trade Coffee Company called in BeVivid to design and create its retail website in time for Fairtrade Fortnight.

A Shropshire coffee wholesaler has launched a retail website in time for Fairtrade Fortnight 2007, which started at the end of February.

Established in November 2006 The Fair Trade Coffee Company enlisted the services of marketing and e-business solutions provider BeVivid, both Shrewsbury-based companies, to design and create www.thefairtradecoffeecompany.com.

Having supplied shops, pubs, restaurants and businesses throughout the UK since 2001, husband and wife team Mark and Tracey Derham decided to set up a retail arm to their business.

Including complementary accessories they sell a variety of tea, coffee and sugar from countries in Latin America and Africa including Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Tanzania, Honduras, Kenya and Ethiopia.

Registered with the Fairtrade Foundation and keen to dispel the myths that Fairtrade produce is poor quality and farmers are allegedly no better off than their colleagues employed by multinational corporations, managing director Mark Derham said: "We've sold Fairtrade produce for over two years and demand is such that it now accounts for 40% of our turnover.

A lot people attending our stand at the BBC's Good Food Show last November tried our coffee and thought it tasted great, which was one of the deciding factors in setting up the retail website.

In addition, our supply chain is very short so I know the names of each cooperative and that our importers pay the growers' premiums before the goods leave the farm.

We feel it's important to spread the Fairtrade message to consumers and the BeVivid team's knowledge and experience has been crucial in helping us achieve this aim." Peter Riches, managing director of BeVivid and a business advisor on Business Link West Mercia's consultancy register, said: "Mark initially approached us about building a website but after advice on the best way forward and a successful Best Practice grant application through Business Link we also created a brand, logo, literature and complementary marketing materials for the new venture.".