In many countries, coffee chains are expanding rapidly, which some claim threatens the survival of small local cafés. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Agree?
Uniform pricing, wherever one goes will pay similar amounts
Uniform products
Large scale operations which make these ubiquitous
Bigger investments, aggressive advertising and marketing
Offers in collaborations with other domains
Provide comfortable ambience and allow people to spend time there
Disagree
Unique atmosphere and environment allow them to survive
Cater to local tastes
Are more flexible with menus and can tweak things quickly
Their location and existence for long brings them loyalty
Undeniably, the growing ubiquity of large cafe chains is fueling cafe culture, but is this pushing smaller stand-alone establishments out of business, is a matter worthy of deeper pondering, to ascertain whether this fear is well-founded or unwarranted.
Large organizations with multiple outlets boast of colossal investments in extensive and aggressive advertising strategies, helping them to enhance their visibility and outreach, enticing more and more consumers, persuading them to engage with these brands more frequently. For example, gigantic enterprises can afford to run promotional schemes, and enter into collaboration with brands operating in other domains, such as clothing, to engage their audience actively. This is something out of bounds for the small-scale companies; consequently, forming a notion that they are losing out to their bigger rivals.
Similarly, large chains stores have become a vogue, especially among the youth, due to their charisma: they offer extensive range of beverages and food - sometimes international, and not available locally - of homogenous quality, but unique, and at uniform prices, helping develop a taste among their customers for these offerings, and fetching brand loyalty. This is making some abandon their affiliation to regional options, and follow the universal companies.
Nevertheless, in the face of stiff competition, many locally known cafes are still able to hold their ground well, owing to the niche they have been able to create for themselves owing to their exclusive local flavor, something even the best global brands cannot replicate. To corroborate, several cafes world over: Proud Mary in Portland and Bercos in Delhi, have continued to co-exist with global giants.
In hindsight, although international and large cafe chains have overwhelmed the market, numerous establishments have endured this rivalry, and held steadfast, and their loss is extremely limited to some youngsters seeking broader experience beyond coffee
