Costa Express – the UK on-the-go coffee brand and part of Costa Coffee – has installed its 5,000th self-serve coffee bar, putting it on track to achieve its target of 8,000 machines in operation by 2020.
The milestone “demonstrates phenomenal growth” since Whitbread’s £59.5m acquisition of Coffee Nation in March 2011. After extensive re-branding and technological developments, Costa Express has grown at an average of 70 new self-serve machines every month and been able to export the intelligent self-serve coffee concept to international markets such as The Netherlands and Denmark, which were previously untapped by the Costa Coffee brand.
The strength of the Costa brand combined with the convenience of the self-serve format has proven successful, with the machines accessed in a variety of locations including airports, leisure clubs, train stations and primarily forecourts and convenience stores.
Costa Express has over 4,540 self-serve units in the UK and more than 440 in international trial markets.
Costa Express managing director Murray McGowan said: “Costa Express has enjoyed tremendous growth from 877 machines in 2011 to 5,000 today. We have always been confident that combining our superior technology with the same quality coffee and fresh milk found on the high street through Costa, the nation’s favourite coffee shop, we would be able to deliver an unbeatable coffee experience to on-the-go customers.
“This milestone 5,000th install proves the consumer demand we’re delighted by the results from multiple international pilots that demonstrate the appeal of the brand in overseas markets away from the mother-brand, showcasing the potential for growth.”
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