Why You Won’t Find Rescue Roast® Coffee on Supermarket Shelves

Every now and then, someone asks us a very reasonable question:

“Where can I buy Rescue Roast® in a shop?”

The answer is a little different from what you might expect.

Rescue Roast® is primarily an online, direct-to-customer coffee brand — and that is quite deliberate.

We do not follow the traditional model of placing our coffee into large supermarket and retail chains. However, through our growing Rescue Roast® Reseller Programme, you may occasionally find our coffee at selected independent retailers and speciality stores.

Some of our partnered rescue organisations also purchase Rescue Roast® in bulk and resell it directly to their supporters, which means there are now a few different ways to get your paws on a bag.

For us, it is about keeping distribution controlled, maintaining the Rescue Roast® experience and working with retailers and organisations that genuinely fit our brand.

We Prefer Your Coffee to Come Directly From Us

When you order Rescue Roast® through our online store, your order comes directly through us and is prepared before being dispatched.

That gives us far greater control over the customer experience.

We know what was ordered, how it should be prepared, where it is going and, importantly, that the coffee has not spent an unknown amount of time moving through large distribution networks or sitting on retail shelves.

Coffee is a fresh product.

While properly packaged coffee keeps very well, we prefer managing our stock rotation closely rather than sending large quantities of coffee into retail environments where we have little control over how quickly it sells.

Why Not the Big Chain Stores?

Getting a product onto the shelves of large retail chains is not as simple as delivering a few bags of coffee to a store.

Traditional large-scale retail can involve distributor margins, retailer margins, listing arrangements, promotional requirements, rebates and other costs associated with getting a product through a large distribution system.

Ultimately, those costs have to be absorbed somewhere.

Our preference is to keep the Rescue Roast® model simpler and more direct, allowing us to focus our resources on the things that matter most to us:

Great coffee, reliable service and growing the Rescue Roast® community.

But You May Spot Rescue Roast® in Selected Stores

Although we are not pursuing mass distribution through supermarket and retail chains, we have introduced a Rescue Roast® Reseller Programme.

This allows selected resellers to keep Rescue Roast® coffee in stock and make it available to their own customers.

That means you may start seeing a familiar Rescue Roast® bag appearing here and there at selected independent retailers, speciality stores and other approved resellers.

We think this gives us the best of both worlds.

It makes Rescue Roast® available in more places while still allowing us to be selective about where our brand is represented.

So, if you happen to spot Rescue Roast® at a speciality store near you, don’t worry — our coffee hasn’t escaped!

You have simply found one of the businesses helping us bring Rescue Roast® a little closer to our customers.

You May Also Find Rescue Roast® at a Partnered Rescue Organisation

Some of our partnered animal rescue organisations purchase Rescue Roast® in bulk and keep coffee available for resale to their own supporters.

This means your local rescue organisation may already have Rescue Roast® available directly from them.

If you would prefer to buy locally, it is therefore worth contacting a rescue organisation that is partnered with Rescue Roast® and asking whether they currently have stock available.

Stock levels and available products will naturally differ from one organisation to another, so we recommend checking with them directly before visiting or arranging collection.

Buying from one of these rescue organisations is also a wonderful way to support that organisation directly while enjoying your Rescue Roast® coffee.

Direct Sales Help Us Understand Our Customers

One of the biggest advantages of selling primarily through our own website is that we actually get to know the people buying our coffee.

We hear which blends you love.

We hear how you brew them.

We hear when you want something stronger, smoother, darker or easier to drink.

Those conversations have helped shape everything from our coffee range to our Coffee Academy, subscriptions and new products.

If every bag simply disappeared into a massive supermarket distribution network, much of that connection would be lost.

And we rather like knowing who is drinking our coffee.

Our Rescue Partner Model Works Best Online

Rescue Roast® works with a growing network of animal welfare organisations through our partner programme.

Many of these organisations have their own Rescue Roast® links that allow sales connected to their supporters to be identified correctly.

That system works particularly well online because purchases made through those links can be attributed accurately to the relevant partner.

A bag picked up from a supermarket shelf cannot tell us which organisation introduced that customer to Rescue Roast®.

Keeping our primary sales channel online helps us keep this process organised, measurable and manageable.

Online Gives You a Much Bigger Choice

Another advantage of buying directly from Rescue Roast® is choice.

Retail shelf space is always limited. Even approved resellers and rescue organisations may only carry a selection of our range.

Our online store, however, is where you will find the widest selection of Rescue Roast® products.

Whether you prefer something smooth and easy-drinking, something darker and stronger, our Signature Blend, decaf, or something a little more adventurous, ordering directly allows you to choose the coffee that actually suits your taste.

If you are not quite sure which coffee is right for you, our quick Coffee Quiz can help point you in the right direction.

Take the Rescue Roast® Coffee Quiz

We Can Change, Experiment and Launch New Things Faster

Being independent and selling primarily through our own platform also gives us freedom.

We can introduce new blends, limited releases, subscriptions, specials and new ideas without having to wait for national retail buying cycles or negotiate shelf space across hundreds of stores.

When we create something exciting, we can make it available directly to our customers.

That flexibility is a big part of what makes Rescue Roast® fun.

Direct First. Carefully Selected Retail Second.

Our model is deliberately different from mass-market coffee distribution.

Our own online store remains the heart of Rescue Roast®.

It gives customers access to our widest range, lets us communicate directly with the people drinking our coffee and gives us greater control over the overall experience.

At the same time, our selected reseller network and participating rescue organisations allow Rescue Roast® to be available locally in carefully chosen places.

We are not trying to be on every shelf. We would rather be on the right shelves.

What About Convenience?

We understand why being able to grab a bag of coffee locally can be convenient, and our reseller programme is gradually making that possible in selected locations.

Participating rescue organisations may also have stock available directly, so it is always worth checking with your local Rescue Roast® partner organisation.

But you never have to search for a stockist to get Rescue Roast®.

You can order directly through our online store from anywhere in South Africa.

For regular coffee drinkers, we also offer subscription options, making it even easier to keep your coffee cupboard stocked without having to remember to place the same order every month.

So Where Can I Buy Rescue Roast®?

You now have a few options.

The easiest way to access the widest Rescue Roast® range is still to order directly from our online store.

You may also occasionally find Rescue Roast® at one of our selected approved resellers or speciality retailers.

And some of our partnered rescue organisations purchase Rescue Roast® in bulk and resell it directly to their supporters.

If you would prefer to buy locally, contact your local rescue organisation that is partnered with Rescue Roast® and ask whether they currently have stock available.

So whether you order directly from us, discover Rescue Roast® at a selected speciality retailer, or pick up a bag from one of our partnered rescue organisations, there are now more ways than ever to get your paws on your favourite coffee.

Rescue Roast® — direct from us, available through selected resellers, and sometimes even waiting for you at your local rescue.