BANGKOK, Thailand – PTT Oil and Retail Business Plc. (OR), Thailand’s leading fuel retailer and retail business operator, is currently ramping up its efforts to globally expand its in-house Café Amazon coffee chain with new outlet opening spanning across Asia and the Middle East. Café Amazon is OR’s crown jewel for driving the company’s new business direction “Retailing Beyond Fuel”. Under the five-year growth plan starting 2021, the chain expected to achieve a total international stores count of more than 1,000 that will drive total system store sales to reach around USD1,000 million in 2025.
According to OR’s CEO Jiraphon Kawswat, to celebrate the International Coffee Day on October, 1 2021, OR is excited to unveil the new growth journey of our flagship business – Café Amazon. Since 2002 the chain was initially developed as an in-house coffee chain for PTT Station, OR’s retail fuel service stations. Entering its 20 years of establishment, the coffee chain has already been the largest franchise network in Southeast Asia and become the world’s sixth largest coffee chain by number of outlets. According to Euromonitor, Café Amazon was ranked among the world’s top 12 specialist coffee and tea shop brands as of 2019 in terms of revenue. By June 2021, the chain had 3,432 outlets in Thailand, as well as 298 outlets across 10 markets in Asia including Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Oman, Myanmar, Vietnam, China, Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan.
Café Amazon proclaimed its franchising outlets as the destination where people can meet, relax and enjoy its unique high-quality coffee with variety of drinks and snacks at everyday price. In a closer look, fast-growing success story of the chain lies far beneath the surface of its aromatic signature coffee blend and relaxing ambiance as suggested by the slogan “Taste of Nature”.
Under OR’s “Retailing Beyond Fuel” business direction, Café Amazon franchising will continue to be a significant non-oil revenue generation channel. The coffee house chain has been a key driver to promote inclusive growth by capitalizing the new opportunities with business partners on the model of granting master franchise rights to established F&B operators in the global markets.
With master franchisee program uniquely designed to ensure setup for success, Café Amazon provides partners extensive training from experts, strong R&D capabilities for localizing coffee and drink menu, support on marketing and IT system with data analytics, as well as on-the-ground staff coaching and troubleshoot issues. The chain also set up an expert team to provide investment details, advise and support prospective master franchisees.
Café Amazon has been widely favored by its “green oasis ambiance” and the unique and rich taste of coffee that win the heart of millions of customers. The coffee chain inherits OR’s true business purpose of deeply committed to creating inclusive growth with members of the public and all stakeholders. The unique business model aimed at creating lasting impact on people and planet is a universal language not only widely embraced by people across Thailand, but also with proven track record in Cambodia, Laos and the Philippines after Café Amazon has ventured into these markets over a decade ago.
Sustainable Sourcing
Café Amazon launched Community Coffee Sourcing project to develop career skill and educate community enterprise of coffee farmers and also to be a steady distribution channel for community enterprise groups and farmers to ensure a fair-trade income for their sustainable career. Every coffee bean is carefully sourced from selected coffee farms across Thailand and meticulously roasted in its own proprietary roasting plant. Moreover, Café Amazon established the Amazon Inspiring Campus (AICA), which encompasses interactive exhibition on coffee story and the company’s training center. Within the next five years Café Amazon plans to purchase over 38,000 tons of raw coffee beans from local growers in Thailand.
Committed to grow a sustainable business, Café Amazon not only aims to satisfy customers all over the world but also help empowering people, protecting the environment and supporting local communities. As a result, Café amazon will not only be a favorite sustainable coffee brand for international customers but also well-positioned to become the top five global players by store count and top 10 by revenue.
Green and Environmental Initiatives
Café Amazon has deeply imprinted the green concept at heart, reflecting in the design of modern green area, relaxing natural ambience, the use of fresh ingredients and sustainable material in the stores. The chain pioneered the Circular Living Concept store featuring stylish decorative items made from recycled waste, as well as launched upcycling product collection program to increase environmental awareness by using recycled waste to furnish the outlets.
Social Inclusiveness
The “Café Amazon for Chance” program is introduced as an operation of coffee shop that employs people with hearing impairment, the elderly and military veterans. Café Amazon also partner with Ratchasuda College, Mahidol University to train underprivileged and disabled workers to become baristas, as well as providing them with essential working skills. Currently the company has 13 outlets hiring people with hearing impairment and 228 outlets hiring the elderly.
Strategic Partnership for a Powerful Value Chain
Recent investment of Café Amazon in Peaberry, Thailand’s leading coffee roaster and supplier of coffee bar equipment, helped drive the company’s continued expansion through partnership synergy by strengthening its business value chain with access to efficient supply of materials, equipment and maintenance services from the partner.
About OR
PTT Oil and Retail Business Public Company Limited (OR) is PTT Group’s Flagship in the oil and retail business to bring all stakeholders a balanced and sustainable value while developing the quality of life for the people and economy of the communities where it operates. OR relentlessly improves its products and services to always deliver impressive customer experiences and invigorate SME’s growth on oil and retail businesses.
About Café Amazon
Café Amazon is a leading Thai coffeehouse chain. It was developed by OR since 2002 with the goal to bring ‘Green Oasis’ experience into everyday lives. By being the destination where people can meet, relax and enjoy its unique high quality coffee with variety of drinks and snacks at everyday price. Cafe Amazon is an outstanding brand of OR. Now it has more than 3,700 stores operating across 11 countries Café Amazon is known for serving rich and unique flavor of its own signature blend that win the heart of million customers. Café Amazon is fully committed to grow a sustainable business and embrace the concept of ‘taste of nature’. Not only it aims to satisfy customers all over the world but also help empowering people, protecting the environment and supporting local communities.
