Espresso Gear made their first appearance in 1999 with the introduction and creation of high-quality coffee tools. Since then, they’ve broadened their portfolio to include a range of coffee-related brands, serving both B2B and B2C customers across the globe.
As the business grew, so did the need for a more scalable and efficient way to manage their B2B operations.
The challenge
Before the launch of Espresso Gear’s new B2B store, customers had limited visibility of new products and available inventory.
This often resulted in customers reordering the same items repeatedly, rather than discovering new or complementary products within the catalogue. While regular, repeat orders are the backbone of B2B, the business wanted customers to have visibility of other product ranges.
Ordering was also highly manual, with no easy way for customers to place orders online in a more automated, self-serve way. Orders were taken via notebooks, phone calls, or email, which made the process time-consuming and inefficient for both customers and the Espresso Gear team.
Not only was this approach costly, but it also increased the risk of human error. With customers based across multiple time zones, it became increasingly important to introduce a platform that allowed customers to self-serve 24/7, without relying on support availability.
Espresso Gear also wanted to remove additional pressure from their support team by giving customers access to a straightforward, intuitive ordering experience that reduced the need for manual intervention.
The solution
By implementing SparkLayer, Espresso Gear significantly increased operational efficiency across their B2B channel. Orders placed via SparkLayer are automatically synced with their Microsoft Business Central system, removing the need for manual data entry while ensuring greater accuracy and consistency.
This streamlined approach has freed up internal teams to focus on higher-value tasks, rather than spending time processing orders. Customers are also more satisfied, as they no longer need to call in or email their orders and can place them quickly and easily online.
SparkLayer has also helped increase product exposure by giving customers clear visibility of Espresso Gear’s full product range. As a result, customers are more likely to discover and add additional products to their baskets, driving higher order values.
With 24/7 self-service now available, customers can place orders whenever it suits them. Customers can fully manage their accounts, like autonomously tracking orders and making repeat purchases.
Espresso Gear’s sales team can also use SparkLayer’s Sales Agent feature to log in on behalf of customers, build orders for approval, upload PDFs, and support more complex ordering needs.
This functionality allows the team to monitor ordering behaviour and gently nudge customers who haven’t yet placed their regular orders.
More recently, Espresso Gear introduced tiered pricing through SparkLayer, offering better rates for customers purchasing boxes or half boxes. They’ve also created Customer Groups to deliver a more tailored experience, ensuring each customer segment only sees the products, pricing, and order rules relevant to them.
The results
Espresso Gear has implemented minimum order quantities and shipping rules that unlock free shipping once a specific spend threshold is reached. Alongside tiered pricing, these changes have led to a 33% increase in average order value.
They’ve also achieved an 80% reduction in time spent on manual B2B tasks each week, allowing the team to focus on strategic initiatives that support business growth. By freeing up this time, Espresso Gear has been able to streamline operations and work more efficiently across the business.
Most notably, Espresso Gear has seen a 40% increase in overall B2B revenue. This is a significant result that highlights the impact of a more automated and customer-friendly B2B ecommerce experience.
“We love SparkLayer - it’s like checking in at a hotel and then realising it’s all-inclusive; there are so many great features! It’s saved us a lot of time and effort, and ensured increased accuracy across our B2B operations. Our time is freed up to focus on scaling the business and further supporting our customers, rather than manually placing orders and configuring price lists repeatedly." ~ Sharon Bergström, Co-Chief Executive Officer
Explore more
To learn more about Espresso Gear, their product range, and the story of their brand, visit their website.
To see how SparkLayer works with Shopify, you can explore via the links below: