Costa Coffee is to roll out around 1,100 of its new integrated hot and cold self-serve Costa Express machines this summer.
The Costa Express machines have been upgraded to deliver both hot and iced drinks. The move follows a successful trial in Bristol last summer, alongside testing dairy alternative milks in a small number of machines.
The company says iced coffee accounts for one in five global coffee purchases, and independend forecourt retailers will be able to upgrade to fulfill the demand for a large variety of hot and iced ’barista-quality’ drinks. Drinks on offer range from hot or cold Lattes and Cappuccinos, to iced fruit cordials and milk coolers.
Also, for a short time this summer as part of Costa Coffee’s Summer of Ice, Costa Express customers can pick up a limited-edition new Iced Salted Caramel Frappé. The drink is created by using a shot of Espresso, foamed fresh milk, ice, and buttery salted caramel syrup.
All coffee beans used in the Costa Express hot and cold drinks self-serve machines are made using Costa Coffee’s Mocha Italia Signature Blend, which is still a closely guarded secret more than 50 years since Sergio and Bruno Costa first created it. The coffee beans are 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified and fresh milk is also used. And while the machines make customers drinks, they also recreate the hustle and bustle of Costa Coffee stores, by using specially created audio sounds of the burring of the coffee grinder and the tinkle of a spoon against a porcelain cup.
Since 2011, Costa Coffee has operated Costa Express self-serve coffee machines in third-party shops, petrol and service stations, leisure sites and offices and has over 12,000 in the UK and more than 1,400 globally.
In 2020 Costa Coffee rolled out mobile contactless ordering system across Costa Express, claiming a UK first for the coffee machine industry, providing a more innovative, quicker way for customers to order their favourite drink. Customers can also earn ‘Beans’ from any Costa Express machine when signed up to the free Costa Club rewards scheme. Members receive a free drink to redeem in a Costa Coffee store once eight drinks are purchased.
Nick Orrin, Costa Express director UK & Ireland, said: “Costa Express is synonymous with exceptional coffee on-the-go, so we’re delighted to be able to rollout our Costa Express hot and iced drinks machine this summer. The technology used in these state-of-the-art machines is nothing short of a gold-standard level of innovation – a world’s first for the self-service coffee machine industry. What’s more, we are giving our customers what they have been asking for from us - their favourite crafted coffee, personalised for how they want it and when they want it.”
In addition to this roll-out, Costa Coffee recently announced that alongside its franchise partners, it expects to open over 100 new stores across the UK in 2022, including over 60 new Drive-Thru stores, creating nearly 1,000 new jobs.
The growth in Drive-Thru’s is part of Costa Coffee’s ambitious growth strategy which will also see Costa Coffee continuing to invest in travel locations, high streets, and retail parks, alongside its growing At-Home and Ready-To-Drink products.
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