Costa Express has renewed its UK contract with Shell for a further five years. The signing of the contract marks five years since the partnership began in 2011, and the fifth anniversary since Whitbread acquired Coffee Nation and rebranded its machines to Costa Express. 

In the UK Costa Express has 740 coffee bars in 536 of Shell’s 1,000-plus branded service stations, selling more than 70 cups per day. Internationally, Costa Express and Shell operate in partnership across four markets: UK, Canada, Poland and Czech Republic, as well as operating a number of trials in other international markets

Murray McGowan, managing director at Costa Express, said: “We’re delighted to be extending our partnership with Shell, which was one of Costa Express’ first partners. The Costa Express brand perfectly complements the Shell forecourt model, supporting the brand in providing its customers with a high-quality and consistent offering and the best coffee on the go. We’re looking forward to growing our relationship with Shell, both in the UK and in our international markets over the coming years.”

Mike Hominick, Shell UK’s retail marketing manager, said: “Shell service stations in the UK serve five million customers a week and our renewed relationship with Costa Coffee means customers can enjoy a fantastic cup of coffee when they visit. Coffee is now one of our most popular items. The relationship between Costa and Shell has already grown our sales to over 18 million cups a year and we are excited about our joint plans for further growth. Serving Costa coffee is one of the ways we are expanding the role of service stations in the lives of customers, offering great quality fresh food and coffee to customers who live their lives on the move.”

He said the Costa brand, combined with the convenience of the new self-serve format, has proved a winning combination and enabled it to reach new customers through different channels. 

Whitbread acquired Coffee Nation for £59.5 million in 2011. Following a rebrand of the 900 Coffee Nation machines, Costa Express has grown at a significant pace, installing on average over 70 coffee bars every month. The brand is now in nine international markets and has reached its 6,000th machine milestone.