In the world of specialty coffee, consistency and freshness are the hallmarks of a premium brand. The Coffee Roastery, an independent artisan roaster based in Bethnal Green, had a loyal following across East London but faced a significant hurdle in scaling their "Monthly Roast" subscription box. Their existing setup relied on a disjointed mix of PayPal buttons and manual spreadsheets, leading to failed payments, administrative burnout, and a "clunky" experience for their high-end clientele.
They turned to Custom Coded Websites to move away from "off-the-shelf" limitations and build a bespoke subscription-based e-commerce platform. Here is how we used Python and Django to turn their passion into a high-performance recurring revenue machine.
The Challenge: The Subscription Friction Point
The Coffee Roastery was struggling with the unique complexities of niche subscription models. Their primary pain points included:
- Billing Inflexibility: Customers couldn't easily skip a month, change their grind preference, or upgrade their frequency without emailing the roastery directly.
- Manual Fulfilment Chaos: Every month, the team spent two full days manually cross-referencing PayPal logs with delivery addresses in Hackney and Tower Hamlets.
- High Churn Rate: Because there was no "Customer Portal," users felt a lack of control, leading to cancellations during holidays or busy periods.
The CCW Solution: A Bespoke Django Subscription Engine
Our co-founders, Charlie Shortman and Louie Long, designed a solution that treated the subscription as a dynamic relationship, not just a recurring transaction. We bypassed generic plugins and built a tailored Django application that automated the entire lifecycle of a coffee subscriber.
1. Automated Billing with Stripe Billing API
Charlie Shortman engineered a robust integration with Stripe Billing. We built a custom "Subscription Logic" layer in Django that handles tiered pricing, automated pro-rata calculations, and "dunning" management (automatically retrying failed payments and notifying the user). This ensured that The Coffee Roastery never missed a payment, while providing customers with a secure, professional checkout experience.
2. The "Self-Serve" Customer Portal
Louie Long designed a sleek, mobile-first Customer Dashboard. Subscribers can now log in and manage their own preferences: they can "Pause" their subscription with one click, switch from "Whole Bean" to "Aeropress" grind, or add a one-off bag of limited-edition roast to their next delivery. By giving the power back to the customer, we increased brand loyalty and drastically reduced the volume of customer service emails.
3. Automated Logistics and Roasting Logs
We leveraged Django’s admin capabilities to build a "Roaster’s Command Centre." Every Monday morning, the system automatically generates a "Roast List" and "Shipping Manifest" based on active subscriptions. We integrated this with Royal Mail and local London courier APIs, allowing the team to print all their shipping labels in a single click. What used to take 16 hours of admin now takes 15 minutes.
The Results: 240% Increase in Recurring Revenue
The transformation of the digital storefront delivered immediate and sustainable growth for the roastery within the first six months:
- Recurring Revenue: Subscription revenue grew by 240%, providing the business with the predictable cash flow needed to invest in a second London location.
- Churn Rate: Reduced by 35% thanks to the flexibility of the "Self-Serve" portal.
- Admin Time: Manual management time was slashed by 95%, allowing the founders to focus on sourcing and roasting rather than data entry.
- SEO Performance: By creating an optimized "Coffee Subscription London" landing page with a perfect Lighthouse score, organic traffic grew by 80%.
Why Niche E-Commerce Demands Custom Django Logic
The Coffee Roastery’s success proves that for niche businesses, "one-size-fits-all" platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce often become a bottleneck. A custom Django build from Custom Coded Websites offers the flexibility to build a business model that is as unique as your product. Whether you are selling coffee in Shoreditch or a SaaS tool in the City, we build the digital infrastructure that makes recurring revenue look easy.
Based in London, we specialize in the technical engineering required to automate complex business models. We don't just build websites; we build the engines that drive your long-term success.