BEAR: Transforming the high street through connectivity and community

The vision

Starting with just an espresso machine in a garden shed in Staffordshire, lifelong friends Craig and Michael knew there was a gap in their local market for a coffee shop with a difference. In 2016, they set out to create more than just a coffee shop – they wanted to extract the growing speciality coffee culture well-known in inner-cities and bring it to life in smaller, local community hubs that would bring people together in beautiful spaces.

Transforming a derelict building on Uttoxeter’s sleepy high street into a modern, connected space presented several challenges, not least competing with long-established chains.

“When we took on BEAR’s first site, there was buddleia growing through cracks and damp creeping up the walls. But we knew that behind its dilapidated state, there was something truly special. We felt that to create a destination on an under-loved high street, robust infrastructure would have to be at the top of our priorities list.”

Uttoxeter is not the only town centre facing declining footfall. O2 Motion data reveals high street visits are declining by 10% year on year. This is despite 56% of Brits valuing their local high street and 46% wanting to spend more at small or local businesses. Craig and Michael knew that they had to create an experience that would drive people to visit their store.

The challenge

With no outside support, Craig and Michael began creating a brand that would bring inner-city café culture to a regional destination. Such a vision demanded seamless connectivity as standard – from instant payment processing to reliable WiFi for social media sharing, and integration between ordering and in-store experiences. But working with derelict spaces in small towns presented a range of unique challenges:

• Thick walls and unusual layouts created signal challenges affecting basic operations
• Remote locations required robust infrastructure for payment processing
• Social media engagement, crucial for modern hospitality, required reliable connectivity
• Integration of online and in-store experiences demanded consistent infrastructure

Virgin Media O2 Business worked with BEAR to implement a comprehensive connectivity solution that would power their business transformation.

Why connectivity matters

Virgin Media O2 Business research shows 41% of consumers prioritise strong connectivity over atmosphere when choosing where to work remotely, while 35% specifically seek better WiFi. This has proven crucial for BEAR’s success in attracting the growing remote work community to their regional locations.

The impact extends beyond basic operations. The research showed Brits spend up to 25 minutes longer in venues with free WiFi, particularly younger customers. This creates valuable opportunities for community building and increased revenue.

Social media presence has also been vital for footfall – 42% of consumers discover new high street venues through Instagram, with more than half (59%) using Facebook. Most significantly, 48% of consumers have visited a specific area after discovering it on social media, demonstrating how digital presence drives physical visits.

“In modern hospitality, connectivity is no longer optional. With the majority of visitors now using some form of technology to enhance their visits, and many depending on good WiFi, robust infrastructure is essential for high street revival.”

The solution

Working closely with BEAR, Virgin Media O2 Business developed a comprehensive connectivity solution tailored to the unique challenges of historic buildings. Enhanced access points were installed throughout each location, strategically positioned to overcome the signal barriers created by thick walls and unusual layouts. This ensured seamless coverage for both operational needs and guest use.

To support BEAR’s payment systems, a robust network infrastructure was implemented that enabled reliable transaction processing regardless of location within the venues. The solution also incorporated dedicated bandwidth for BEAR’s till systems and the imminent digital loyalty platform, ensuring smooth integration between online and offline operations.

For customer experience, Virgin Media O2 Business installed high-speed WiFi capable of supporting multiple users simultaneously, essential for BEAR’s growing remote work community. This infrastructure was specifically designed to handle peak usage periods without compromising performance.

The outcome 

Since implementing these solutions, BEAR has transformed from a single coffee shop to a multi-location success story. Their first site in Uttoxeter quickly became the busiest spot in town, leading to expansion into Derby’s Iron Gate, where they transformed an ex-bank building into their flagship location and headquarters.

The reliable connectivity has enabled BEAR to explore launching a new integrated loyalty platform, helping secure regular visits and strengthen community ties. Today, they employ over 100 people across their physical stores, online operations, and central headquarters, while their recent crowdfunding campaign raised £1m, with more than half coming from loyal guests.

“Everyone told us regional towns couldn’t support speciality coffee shops. What they meant was they couldn’t support old-fashioned ones. With the right digital infrastructure, we’re proving there’s huge appetite for modern hospitality experiences.”

ENDS

Virgin Media O2 launched on 1 June 2021, combining the UK’s largest and most reliable mobile network with a fully gigabit broadband network where customers benefit from average speeds 5x faster than the national average. Through Virgin Media O2 Business, the company plays a leading role supporting entrepreneurs, businesses, enterprises and the public sector with their digital transformation through a range of connectivity, security, cloud and tailor-made services. Virgin Media O2 is the corporate brand of the 50:50 joint venture between Liberty Global and Telefónica SA, and one of the UK’s largest businesses.

The company has more than 46 million UK connections across its award-winning broadband, mobile, TV and home phone services. Its fixed network covers more than half of the country (17m homes serviceable) alongside a mobile network that covers 99% of the nation’s population. The company is on track to bring 5G to all populated areas by end 2030, and offers more than 50% population 5G coverage today.