Coca‑Cola HBC brings the Costa Coffee at-home experience to European markets

27 May 2020 --- Coca‑Cola HBC, one of the world’s largest bottling partners of The Coca‑Cola Company and Costa Coffee, has unveiled a new range of Costa Coffee products aimed at home consumption, on-the-go and at-work coffee drinking occasions. Launching first in Bulgaria, Poland and Hungary, the range will soon be available in Greece, Switzerland, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia, Ireland and Northern Ireland, with more to come in 2020.

“This is an exciting move with an exceptional brand that continues to build the strength of our portfolio and business beyond the current crisis. We are delighted to be able to offer our customers an at-home Costa Coffee experience for their shoppers and consumers to enjoy,” explains Zoran Bogdanovic, CEO of Coca‑Cola HBC.

“Building on the power of the Costa brand, we are working closely with our customers in cafés, bars and hotels to offer Costa Coffee as soon as it is safe to reopen. This move reinforces the strength, breadth and flexibility of our portfolio and marks the start of our long-term growth plan to provide Costa Coffee, whatever and wherever the occasion across all our 28 markets.”

Coca‑Cola HBC’s offering will consist of a wide range of Costa Coffee blends and formats, as well as best-in-class training, service and technical support. The full range of Costa Coffee products will include whole beans, roast and ground coffee, coffee pods, ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee and self-serve barista-quality coffee on-the-go, via Costa Express machines. 

Although opening new franchise coffee shops is not part of these plans, current Costa Coffee franchise stores in some of these countries play an essential role in building and strengthening brand recognition.

“The launch with Coca‑Cola HBC will disrupt and redefine how and where people can enjoy coffee in our European markets, combining the marketing expertise, European scale and distribution credentials of Coca‑Cola HBC, with Costa Coffee’s expertise in coffee,” says Jill McDonald, CEO of Costa Coffee. 

“The entire range, including our coffee pods and RTD coffee, have all been expertly crafted by Gennaro Pelliccia, our Master of Coffee. The range also includes Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee beans, used in all of Costa’s coffees across the world. Despite the challenging times we find ourselves in, we are very excited to provide consumers with new ways to enjoy a Costa, whatever the occasion,” she highlights.

Last July, The Coca-Cola Company reported robust operating results in the second quarter of 2019, driven by a strong performance of the brand’s sparkling soft drinks segment, and by new launches of Costa Coffee ready-to-drink chilled products and Coca-Cola energy drinks.

Moreover, in August 2019, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), under The Coca-Cola Company, announced that it has acquired a 60 percent share in the soft drinks business of Eswatini Beverages, based in Eswatini (previously known as Swaziland). 

Edited by Elizabeth Green