Marketing Planning at Just Us Cafés

Jeff and Debra Moore are the founders of Just Us!, a fair trade coffee cooperative, retailer and wholesaler. Just Us!’s mission is to actively promote fair trade and its benefits for producers in developing countries. The Moores have maintained a strong commitment to educating consumers while building strong brand identity and upholding constant growth. To support the main distribution channel in grocery stores, management opened four cafés (two each in Wolfville and Halifax) and distributed products on university campuses. Just Us!’s overall sales continued to grow, but sales were leveling off. In addition, the prevailing economic climate in Canada and increasing competition were worrying the founders. Recently, the Moores hired a new marketing director who was required to incorporate unique knowledge of fair trade practices, ethical purchasing and social entrepreneurship, combine it with typical growth-driven marketing decisions and ultimately propose a marketing plan that would consolidate coffee shop operations.