A Fair-Trade Coffee Shop in Guildford Surrey UK - Research Proposal Example

What stimulated such action is a trend towards such products in the UK. Consumers not only care about the products now, but they are very much sensitive to a corporate image that a company carries. Such as being part of fair-trade purchases and network. Coffee is one of the largest and widely consumed fair-trade products in Europe. It was only past 10 years that consumer demand helped the fair-trade coffee brand reach shelves of supermarkets and other brands. Over 55% of consumers in the UK say that they are not just consumers but they are ethical consumers of products(Nicholls, 2002) With all the above trends it seems a right time to open a fair-trade coffee shop in Guilford Surrey.

The city currently has Starbucks which specifically sells fair-trade coffee. There is surely a market out there that has not been served. Distribution Channels The distribution channels of fair-trade coffee have emerged in the past 10 years as well. Across Europe, it is sold in over 35,000 supermarkets, imported by 100’s, served by many corporations and universities and EU government offices. (Raynolds, 2002) The distribution channel recommended to purchase the coffee for the coffee shop is through Fair-trade Foundation UK.

The foundation recommends many retailers and importers of fair-trade coffee. The recommended channel is going through importer of coffee in the UK rather than retail store as it will be a cheaper option. Going through the recommended importer from fair-trade foundation UK will also help coffee shop get the certification of the fair-trade coffee seller by Fair-trade Label Organization UK.