Coffee, Chaos & Shopify Growth!

 

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Coffee, customer service, and Shopify growth don’t usually get talked about in the same sentence — but in Episode 264 of the Winning With Shopify podcast, they come together perfectly.

Nick sits down with Lorna Armfelt, co-founder of The Bean Shop, to explore how a small, independent coffee business in Perth, Scotland grew into a thriving brand selling across Shopify, retail, and wholesale — without losing its personality or customer-first mindset.

This episode is a reminder that sustainable growth isn’t built on hacks or hype. It’s built on great products, genuine relationships, and smart priorities.

From Art School to the Bean Shop

Lorna’s path into coffee wasn’t planned. As an art student working part-time in a coffee roastery, she fell in love with the craft and the community that came with it. Alongside her husband John — who brings deep expertise in tea, sourcing, and roasting — the idea of starting their own business slowly took shape.

The Bean Shop opened its doors in 2003, long before Shopify or subscriptions were part of everyday business conversations. What they did have was years of hands-on retail experience, a strong sense of hospitality, and a clear understanding of what makes customers come back.

Customer Service as a Growth Engine

One of the strongest themes in this conversation is how deeply customer service is woven into The Bean Shop’s success.

From helping customers fine-tune espresso machines on a Sunday afternoon to sending free coffee when someone struggles with a new brew, these small moments build trust that no ad campaign can replace.

The goal is simple: make the online experience feel like walking into the shop.

That shows up through friendly chat tools, real photos of the team and space, quick responses across email and social, and a tone that always feels human.

COVID and the Shift to Online

Before COVID, The Bean Shop had a website — but it wasn’t the main focus.

Lockdown changed that overnight. With foot traffic gone, the Shopify store and Instagram became the new shop window. Posting regularly, staying visible, and keeping communication honest helped the brand not only survive but grow.

Online sales doubled during that period and, importantly, continued to grow even after restrictions lifted. Customers discovered that coffee travels well — and they liked having it delivered to their door.

Today, revenue is roughly split evenly between online sales, in-store retail, and wholesale.

Supplying Cafés Instead of Competing

Rather than opening a café and competing locally, The Bean Shop made a strategic decision to supply cafés instead.

This approach strengthened relationships, reduced operational complexity, and opened up a reliable wholesale revenue stream. As order volumes increased, the team split operations into two locations — keeping the shop focused on customers while fulfilling online and wholesale orders from the roastery.

It’s a smart example of maximising existing assets instead of chasing expansion for expansion’s sake.

Email Marketing and Retention

With rising ad costs and increased competition, email marketing has become a renewed focus.

Rather than overly polished campaigns, the aim is to share what’s happening behind the scenes — new coffees, sourcing stories, life in the roastery — and stay connected with customers who already love the brand.

In a repeat-purchase business like coffee, retention matters just as much as acquisition.

The Reality of Business Ownership

Lorna is refreshingly honest about the day-to-day reality of running a business.

There’s planning, but there’s also constant firefighting — managing orders, teams, family life, and the unexpected issues that pop up without warning. Not every task directly drives growth, but prioritising what matters most in the moment keeps the business moving forward.

It’s a story every founder can relate to.

What’s Next for The Bean Shop

Looking ahead, the team is planning to invest in a new eco-friendly coffee roaster, improve capacity, and continue developing their people and processes.

Growth isn’t about scaling as fast as possible. It’s about building something sustainable — for customers and for the people behind the brand.

 

Check out the full podcast here.
This episode was brought to you by Nick Trueman, Director of PPC & SEO Agency, Spec Digital.