Northeastern University Student Develops App To Help Small Coffee Shops Compete Against Larger Chains – CoffeeTalk

Saad Abdullah, a business administration student at Northeastern University, developed an app called Echelon to help small coffee shops compete with larger chains. The app, which was designed by Abdullah and other Northeastern students, analyzes customers’ behaviors, such as what products they buy and when they are purchased, and groups them based on their spending habits. It then makes suggestions for how the shop can retain them, allowing owners to look at data based on customer frequency to see habits among new and returning customers.

Espresso’s most common suggestion comes in the form of personalized rewards, such as offering discounts on menu items to incentivize customers to come in more often. The AI algorithm also projects the revenue this will bring in, encouraging customers to return. The goal with retention is to encourage them to come back, and Echelon not only does that but also figures out the best way for a coffee shop to start reaching customers.

On the customer side, the app allows users to earn and spend rewards, replacing the role of the traditional “punch card” many coffee shops use for loyalty programs. Abdullah initially envisioned Echelon as being like a dating app, but the concept kept growing. He started building the app himself, but the idea kept growing. He started to build Echelon as a dating app, but the concept kept growing.

Abdullah officially launched Echelon in March 2024, working with fellow Northeastern students on coding the project and IDEA, which helped prepare the product for launch. IDEA is a student-led venture accelerator for entrepreneurs in the Northeastern community. Their mentors have been very helpful in helping shape Echelon’s go-to-market strategies and the best way to target clients. They have given Abdullah great ideas on validating their product and going into fundraising.

This year, Echelon took on its first client, Central Perk, with the goal of helping them increase retention by 30%. While the app is focused on coffee shops for now, Abdullah hopes to see it become a resource for other small businesses in the future. He wants to build a platform where small business owners can press a few buttons and get things done.

Read More @ Northeastern Global News