Community Coffee Wins 2024 Best Newcomer Award in B2B eCommerce

Community Coffee Wins 2024 Best Newcomer Award in B2B eCommerce

For more than a century, Community Coffee has built its business through personal, face to face relationships. But in 2024, the iconic brand proved it could also lead in digital innovation. By winning the Best Newcomer Award at the B2B eCommerce Industry Awards, Community Coffee demonstrated that heritage and modernization can go hand in hand.

This blog explores how the company successfully transitioned into the B2B eCommerce space and what other businesses can learn from their first year success.

A Century Old Brand Meets Modern Commerce

Founded in 1919, Community Coffee has served customers with a focus on quality and service. As the B2B landscape evolved, the company recognized a need to reimagine how it could serve a growing and digitally savvy client base. The goal was clear: build a modern B2B eCommerce experience that could scale with the company’s ambition while remaining true to its legacy.

Strategic Goals and a Digital Transformation

Community Coffee’s eCommerce initiative focused on four key business divisions and a global network of business customers. With a mission to improve customer acquisition, simplify order processes, and create a frictionless user experience, the brand launched an advanced B2B platform tailored to the unique needs of its buyers.

In just the first year, the results validated their approach. The company experienced a rise in new account activations, increased order frequency, and stronger customer satisfaction across the board.

Customer Centric Features Drive Growth

Key to Community Coffee’s success was its emphasis on customer experience. The platform introduced features that made doing business easier for buyers, including:

• Company specific pricing and contract based product catalogs
• “My Products” filtering and easy reordering
• Robust order history and invoice management tools
• Account level permissions, cart sharing, and self service capabilities
• A powerful site search experience with autocomplete keyword functionality

These innovations weren’t just about adding functionality they made it easier for buyers to shop, repeat orders, and manage complex organizational purchasing needs.

Seamless Integration for Operational Efficiency

Community Coffee integrated its new B2B platform with its ERP and CRM systems, providing a seamless back-end foundation. The system supports real time inventory, custom pricing, account hierarchies, and open AR management. The use of Net Core V6 ensured high performance and stability, supporting increased traffic and order volume.

Features like customer impersonation by account managers and a ticketing system for service inquiries helped maintain high touch support while streamlining internal operations.

Building Loyalty Through Trust and Transparency

One of the platform’s standout achievements is how it balances automation with personalization. Through onboarding that blends digital convenience with traditional communication, Community Coffee ensured every client felt supported from day one.

The platform’s implementation of verified product reviews through Bazaarvoice built trust for new buyers, while advanced retargeting and loyalty features encouraged repeat business.

Success Backed by Metrics and Market Reception

In its first year, Community Coffee saw measurable gains in customer acquisition, conversion rates, and retention. The brand also received strong feedback from its customers, who praised the ease of use, order accuracy, and high quality service.

Their onboarding strategy, combined with operational excellence and digital agility, laid the foundation for long term growth.

Looking Ahead

Community Coffee’s digital transformation is only just beginning. With plans to expand product offerings, deepen personalization, and explore new markets, the company is committed to leading through innovation.

By embracing technology while honoring its roots, Community Coffee has positioned itself as a model for how traditional brands can succeed in the digital era. Their success shows that with the right platform and strategy, even established businesses can thrive as newcomers in the B2B eCommerce space.

Want to learn more or apply to the B2B eCommerce Awards?

Visit b2becommerceawards.com to discover how your organization can be recognized among the top performers in the industry.