26th Mar 2012 - 00:00
Abstract
Costa Express, the Costa group’s self-serve coffee bar concept, has celebrated its first anniversary with the unveiling of its 1,000th outlet in Charing Cross station.
Scott Martin, chief executive of Costa Express, said the milestone put Costa Express on track to achieve its target of 3,000 machines by 2016 and demonstrated "phenomenal growth" in just one year since Whitbread's £59.5million acquisition of Coffee Nation. Following the acquisition, Costa Express self-serve coffee bars were developed and rolled out from June 2011 in sectors as diverse as forecourts, retail outlets, healthcare and education. The growth plan has seen existing Coffee Nation machines converted and new Costa Express machines placed at a rate of 20 a week. Costa Express machines can now be found around the UK in locations such as Moto and Welcome Break service areas, Esso forecourts, Tesco Express stores, plus a growing number of universities and hospitals. The launch of the self-serve brand has also opened up new customer opportunities in channels such as airports and railway stations. Added Martin: "We knew there was a demand for high quality coffee on the go and were confident that combining our tried and tested technology with the nation's favourite high street coffee would be successful -- but the results one year on are remarkable. "There are now a thousand more locations across the country where people can get a cup of great Costa coffee on the go, in customer segments and areas of the UK we've never previously been able to reach." In the last year, Costa Express machines have served more than 15 million cups of coffee and those that have been rebranded to Costa Express have seen a 20% increase in the number of cups sold per day.