Costa
Coverage focuses on the strategy, performance, and innovation of the UK’s largest branded coffee chain, now owned by The Coca-Cola Company. Reporting includes new store formats in drive-thru, travel, and convenience retail, expansion of the Costa Express vending network, seasonal product campaigns, and digital loyalty developments via the Costa Club app. Insight also covers sustainability goals, plant-based menu additions, and international growth, offering operators a clear view of branded beverage trends and scalable customer engagement strategies.
-
Apr- 2019 -30 AprilBusiness
Whitbread sees 40% plummet in full-year profits
Hospitality group, Whitbread has announced a 40% drop in profit in its first set of full-year results following the sale of Costa Coffee to Coca-Cola. Whitbread blamed Brexit uncertainty and weak UK hotel demand at its Premier Inns brand for the slow growth figures. Without the effects of the Costa…
Read More » -
17 AprilCafes and Coffee Shops
Over 100 Whitbread jobs face axe following Costa sale
Around 100 jobs are expected to be cut at the head office of Whitbread following the sale of Costa Coffee to Coca Cola for £3.9bn. According to reports by The Times, a consultation involving around 10% of the company’s head office staff was expected to be concluded this month, however…
Read More » -
Feb- 2019 -11 FebruaryRestaurants
Mike Ashley cancels bid for Patisserie Valerie
Retail tycoon Mike Ashley has cancelled his bid for cake chain Patisserie Valerie, just two days after his Sports Direct group tabled the £15m bid. Sports Direct’s bid was said to be £2m short of the sum administrators KPMG were looking for according to reports in the Financial Times. According…
Read More » -
Jan- 2019 -7 JanuaryBeverages
Whitbread’s Costa sale to Coca-Cola given green light
Whitbread’s sale of Costa to Coca-Cola has been cleared by the EU, the clearance means the £3.9bn deal is expected to be completed this month. The sale of Costa will see a £500m share buyback programme triggered which will see “a significant majority of the net proceeds to shareholders”. The…
Read More » -
Dec- 2018 -21 DecemberOpinion
Food and drink culture – the rebellion is here
For decades, there has been strict control on how we eat, when we eat and what we eat. Historically, there existed an old routine of only having porridge or sausages in the morning; or only having a club sandwich at noon; or indeed roast beef and mashed potatoes in the…
Read More » -
Nov- 2018 -28 NovemberApps & Technology
Costa and Barclaycard release ‘UK first’ contactless reusable cup
Costa Coffee has partnered with Barclaycard to launch reusable contactless coffee cup, which is said to be the first of its kind in the UK. Available in Costa Coffee stores this November, the Clever Cup utilises contactless payment technology to turn customers’ reusable coffee cups into a way to make…
Read More » -
Oct- 2018 -23 OctoberAnalysis
Forget Luke Johnson: the biggest loser in the Patisserie Valerie fallout is the brand itself
Since the revelation last week that Patisserie Valerie had uncovered a multimillion pound blackhole in its accounts, British entrepreneur Luke Johnson has been made to eat his extensive and well-documented words on the financial arrears of others. It can’t have been an enjoyable experience, but it all makes for a great story. There are very…
Read More » -
3 OctoberCafes and Coffee Shops
Costa advert banned for ‘avocado criticism’
Costa has seen an advert banned after it suggested an avocado was a “poor breakfast choice” adding that those who wanted a decent breakfast should have a bacon roll or egg muffin from Costa. The radio advert announced that avocados would be “hard as rock for the first 18 days,…
Read More » -
Aug- 2018 -31 AugustCafes and Coffee Shops
Coca-Cola to acquire Costa Coffee from Whitbread for £3.9bn
Coca-Cola is to buy the coffee chain Costa from Whitbread in a £3.9bn deal. Whitbread, which acquired the brand in 1995 for £19m when it had only 39 outlets, had intended to spin off the chain as a separate business but the transaction was unanimously agreed by the Whitbread board…
Read More » -
Jul- 2018 -13 JulyFeatures
Is coffee cupping the new wine tasting?
Whilst millennials have been branded as the typical target market for speciality coffee, there is a growing need to focus on the younger Generation Z and what makes them tick. With Gen Z consumers drinking less alcohol than their older generations, wine tasting events could become a thing of the…
Read More »
