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Wholesale and Logistics
Curious about understanding the building blocks of coffee business? What about scaling your business model, or exploring how coffee moves from place to place in the supply chain? This section covers the underlying support structure of coffee wholesaling, logistics, and distribution, including topics like packaging and efficiency in freight.
It’s a daunting task to take on all the roles needed for a successful coffee company. Along with being your green coffee provider, we support our customers by providing helpful resources – so you have less to worry about.
Coffee packaging, the first real hurdle in branding, faces even more hurdles during wholesale distribution. A coffee’s distribution channels can effect the design elements of entire product lines. Making smart decisions from the start can save you time and money as your business grows.
Logistics can be a tricky topic to fully understand unless you have had your feet firmly planted in the industry for many years. And even then, it can be hard to get a grasp. By acting as the ‘middle men’ we have the bird’s eye view of the situation. We break down logistics in multiple steps and discuss the nuance of shipping timelines, direct trade, and the real impact on producers and importers alike.
Every step of the way, Royal is here to grow with you as your green coffee supplier and educator.
The Importance of Coffee Packaging
Effective coffee packaging balances freshness, durability, sustainability, and presentation. By tailoring your packaging design and materials to your product type and distribution needs, you can protect quality, appeal to your target audience, and strengthen your brand’s reputation.
Coffee Shipping Timelines Explained: Intend Ship Date, ETA & Real Transit Averages
As we enter the main shipping season, we want to give you clarity on the three dates you’ll see most often when a shipment is moving: the Shipment/Delivery Period, Intend Ship Date and ETA. Each marks a different moment in a coffee’s journey and helps you plan your purchasing timeline with confidence.
What Does 'Direct Trade' Actually Mean? A Specialty Coffee Reality Check
Direct Trade originally popularized by specialty roasters in the late 1990s to improve transparency and relationships with producers, the term suggests direct communication and pricing agreements between roasters and farmers. In practice, however, coffee still relies on exporters and importers for logistics, financing, and shipping.
"Getting into coffee wholesale distribution can feel (like a) confusing and exhausting process. In this article, you’ll get insights and tips from two knowledgeable sources on wholesale distribution: Alli Ball from Food Biz Wiz, former Bi-Rite Market grocery buyer and Joshua Dusk, Aftersales Manager at Counter Culture Coffee (CCC). "
ReadEffective coffee packaging balances freshness, durability, sustainability, and presentation. By tailoring your packaging design and materials to your product type and distribution needs, you can protect quality, appeal to your target audience, and strengthen your brand’s reputation.
Read"Ordering Coffee Efficiently: ✔ Use 5-digit reference numbers to specify the coffee and packaging size (50 LB Gem box, 22 LB Crown Jewel, or full-sized bag). ✔ Check for confirmation emails from Outbound and your warehouse to verify your order. ✔ Read your invoices carefully, paying attention to bag sizes. ✔ Review contracts and shipping terms before placing an order."
Read"Transportation is an essential but frequently overlooked part of the coffee industry. For roasters of all sizes, overland freight is a key factor when considering location, pricing, and risk tolerance. Unless a coffee business is lucky enough (or savvy enough) to be located immediately adjacent to coffee production, transportation must be factored into the equation. LTL freight in specific is defined as the transportation of freight taking up anything less than a full trailer or container, literally “less than truckload.” This is in comparison to FTL (full truck load), meaning that the full trailer is occupied by one consignee or receiver of the freight."
ReadDirect Trade originally popularized by specialty roasters in the late 1990s to improve transparency and relationships with producers, the term suggests direct communication and pricing agreements between roasters and farmers. In practice, however, coffee still relies on exporters and importers for logistics, financing, and shipping.
ReadAs we enter the main shipping season, we want to give you clarity on the three dates you’ll see most often when a shipment is moving: the Shipment/Delivery Period, Intend Ship Date and ETA. Each marks a different moment in a coffee’s journey and helps you plan your purchasing timeline with confidence.
ReadThe idea that a particular crop, in our case coffee, is available and fresh for a portion of the year – is now long-ingrained in specialty coffee conversations. Like all other fruit, coffee berries have a finite shelf life. Unlike many other drupes, we covet the seeds rather than the pulp, and so a green coffee’s freshness is related not just to its immediate harvest timeline, but also to the length of time it takes to process (i.e., remove the seeds from the fruits and prepare them for storage and transit), the duration of international shipping, and the somewhat extended (but far from infinite) flavor of freshness during green coffee’s time on a shelf, waiting to roast.
Read"Between 2008 and 2015, I lost weeks of my life to layovers and time zone changes travelling between the United States and coffee farms in Brazil and East Africa. It was 100% worth the time I can’t have back: the opportunity to meet and speak with international coffee professionals and to experience coffee farming and processing first hand provided invaluable depth to my knowledge and love for the product."
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