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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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