AVT, Inc., Coinstar (Redbox) and Starbucks are setting their sights on the exploding automated out-of-home coffee market. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, the automated coffee kiosk market is worth over $800 million a year, and has space for as many as 70,000 units. "By comparison, there are about 43,700 Redbox machines now," according to the Journal, so the market potential is enormous.
AVT is leading this market with their Marley Coffee Automated Cafes, which provide a barista-quality cup of coffee. The AVT systems provide specially filtered spring water, gourmet roasts – including the famed Marley Jamaican Blue Mountain (one of the most highly desirable blends in the world), and fresh grind whole beans for each cup. The AVT systems also can brew cappuccino, espresso, mocha and other specialty drinks. By contrast, Coinstar is betting that the public wants a lesser-quality product and is offering Seattle's Best in their systems, which is the Starbucks bargain brand.
Coffee consumption continues to grow – especially the gourmet sector. More than 150 million Americans drink coffee on a daily basis. It is the number-one hot beverage of choice among convenience store customers, generating about 78 percent of sales within the hot dispensed beverages category (source: Wikipedia). The coffee industry in the United States is valued at about $19 billion each year, and gourmet coffees account for about half of that industry value.
AVT is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Marley Coffee branded kiosks and automated coffee stores, and will put thousands of company-owned units into the market within the next two years and has projected sales from these systems over $24 million by year-end 2014.
AVT is also partnering with Ron Brown - the famed the former NFL player and Pro-Bowl star, to offer entrepreneurs the opportunity to open a Marley Coffee Automated Cafe. "The reception has been incredible," Brown stated. "We are providing the opportunity for anyone to start their own business in a dynamic and growing market, with little capital requirements, overhead or start-up costs."
According to a recent article in the Press Enterprise, AVT is on course to reach $100 million in sales. "We grew over 50 percent last year, in part due to our ability to innovate and attract the biggest brands in the world, including Wal Mart, Wrigley's, Rug Doctor, Dr. Scholl's, Blue Rhino, and Quiksilver," Shannon Illingworth, AVT Founder and Chairman commented. "Our five-year strategic growth plan is on-track as we continue to gain market share, increase production, and create revenue magnifiers through our multiple divisions."
