Whitbread plans to expand Costa coffee chain in China. UK’s biggest coffee chain has ambitions to almost treble its business to around 900 stores. It currently operates 344 sites, with 43 new stores opened during the last financial year.
Costa is also planning to double its Costa Enterprises business, which includes its Costa Express self-serve coffee bars, in the same period by expanding into new growth channels in the UK, as well as internationally.
The news follows strong growth with total sales up by 17.9% to £951.9 m in the year to 26 February 2015, driven by a 6% increase in like-for-like sales in the UK, new stores and Costa Express machines.
