SWOT-based marketing strategy to improve competitiveness: A qualitative case study of Coffee Shop Maary in Manado City

Abstract

Intensifying competition among coffee shops in Manado City requires owners to strengthen their marketing strategies. Coffee Shop Maary offers quality products and a comfortable concept but faces suboptimal digital promotion and strong competition in the Wenang area, while prior SWOT studies have rarely examined micro-scale coffee shops within a dense local competitive cluster. This study analyzes Coffee Shop Maary's marketing strategy, identifies its internal and external SWOT factors, and formulates an appropriate strategy to increase competitiveness. A qualitative descriptive approach was used, with data from in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation involving five informants (the owner, manager, a barista, a regular customer, and a long-standing customer), validated through source and technique triangulation. Data were analyzed using the Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix, External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix, and a qualitative SWOT Matrix. Results show an IFE score of 2.91 and an EFE score of 2.75, indicating fairly good internal and external conditions, with product quality and friendly, educative service as the main strengths and inconsistent digital promotion as the main weakness. The SWOT matrix produced four strategy alternatives (SO, WO, ST, and WT), with the SO strategy—combining product and concept advantages with digital promotion, community collaboration, and delivery-service optimization, identified as the priority. These findings extend the qualitative IFE-EFE-SWOT framework to the local coffee shop context and offer practical recommendations for Coffee Shop Maary and similar micro and small enterprises.