SHANGHAI, China – TH International Limited, together with its wholly owned subsidiaries, (“THIL” or “Tims China”) announced yesterday a strategic partnership with METRO China, a leading retailer and joint venture of Wumart and Metro AG, whereby Tims China will be the exclusive coffee shop brand in METRO stores in China. The first seven stores operating under this partnership opened today in four cities.
Under the partnership, Tims China will open Tims Go coffee shops, the compact-store model of Tims China, at METRO China stores in the country. Tims China will enjoy preferred site selection, as well as delivery services and complimentary marketing initiatives.
By January 2022, the partners plan to open at least nine Tims Go shops in METRO stores across six cities, including Chengdu, Dalian, Qingdao, Nanjing, Langfang, and Shanghai.
METRO China is a leader in China’s wholesale and retail industry with more than 20 million members. It currently operates 99 stores in 60 cities. It is an omni-channel retailer with an integrated online-offline model, as well as a food service distributor.
Tims China holds the exclusive master franchise rights for Tim Hortons coffee shops in China. Formed in 2019 by private equity firm Cartesian Capital Group, Tims China brings an iconic coffee and bakeshop brand to one of the fastest-growing coffee markets in the world. With these latest openings, Tims China operates over 335 stores.
Yongchen Lu, CEO of Tims China, said, “We are extremely excited to become partners with METRO China, one of the leading wholesalers and retailers in China. Through this agreement, we can reach millions of new customers to share our welcoming guest experience and extensive high-quality product offerings. Over the next few years, we plan to strategically open Tims Go coffee shops in METRO China stores across 60 cities, growing our brand, revenue, and margins.”
Chen Zhiyu, deputy CEO of METRO China, said, “We are delighted for Tims China to become one of our anchor tenants as we believe the brand will bring convenience and quality coffee products at great value to our members. Our partnership will also create a strong link between daily shopping and coffee consumption in our stores that will greatly improve the overall shopping experience for our middle-class customers. We could not be more excited about this partnership with Tims China and are confident that it will be fruitful and long lasting.”
