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C                                                                                                                                                                                                       Photo / Portland Coffee Roasters






































                                                                                                Photo / Portland Coffee Roasters





        Live Streaming: From                           hands of the average consumer. Today, they do this with
        Our Coffee Machine to Yours                    weekly livestreaming on Taobao and mainly sell their coffee
                                                       through e-commerce platforms. 8BIT explains that going live    8BIT Coffee Roasters                                                                    Photo / George Pagan
            During a period of global uncertainty, taking comfort in   is important, “especially for the popularity and awareness of
        the small things, like a hot cup of quality coffee in the morn-  the specialty coffee industry”. Niche products cannot always   Founded in 2013, 8BIT’s name was inspired
        ing, is what people cherish. Big brands like Starbucks already   compete on supermarket shelves, making e-commerce a cru-  by the third generation Nintendo home
        had virtual stores and delivery systems in place to help bridge   cial way for specialty coffee roasters to reach their customers.   game system and lives up to the classic
        the distance during a crisis. With their millions of followers    Many American and European roasters instead turn   tagline, “It’s a lot of fun!” They focus on
        and large marketing budgets, getting the word out is easier.   to media giants to host livestreams. They have become so   making their customers comfortable and
        A local store has to be more creative to let their community   popular that after lockdowns began, Youtube, Amazon, and   breaking the boundaries set by other niche
        know that their coffee is still available.     Facebook were forced to lower their video quality in Europe    specialty coffee products.
             In China, artisan coffee roasters already had the tools   due to increased use. Mark Stell, co-founder of Portland
        needed to navigate a long period of social isolation and had   Coffee Roasters, and his team began hosting regular lives-
        in fact been using them for some time. Taobao, one of the   treaming events after cafes in Oregon were forced to shut   Portland Coffee Roasters
        world’s largest e-commerce sites that showcases small busi-  down in March. Customers can log in and see a friendly
        nesses alongside major brands, launched livestreaming of   face while learning at-home coffee tips, explaining that   Founded in the eclectic city of Portland,
        products back in 2015 and its popularity has since skyrock-  “even though we don’t get to see each other every day, there   Oregon in 1996 with a staff of two, Portland
        eted. Already a hit, livestreaming increased 110% in February   are ways to stay connected with people who share the same   Coffee  Roasters  has  built  its  business by
        2020 compared to the same time the year before. Clearly,   values... and chat with others who want to make coffee   selling wholesale high-quality coffee. They
        Chinese businesses have been successfully communicating   better, together.”                                  have since evolved into a consumer-facing                                               Photo / 8BIT Coffee Roasters
        with their customers despite the nation’s lockdown.    This connection is especially important in the social city   brand with  a mission  to  create  positive
             8BIT Coffee Roastery is a Beijing-based ‘beyond-bound-  of Portland where Stell shares that “the cafe culture is totally   human connections through coffee by
        ary’ specialty coffee roaster putting quality coffee into the   ingrained in people’s everyday lives in each neighborhood.”   building a socially responsible business.



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