Tim Hortons grows Express store network in China

A Tims Express unit within an Easy Joy convenience store | Photo credit: Tims China

Tims China has credited franchise partnerships and the successful roll-out of its Tims Express concept as driving strong sales growth. 
 

The coffee shop operator said like-for-like sales increased 27% year-on-year in June 2023, driven by increasing customer traffic across its network.  

Additionally, same-store sales averaged 19% growth across the entire Tims China network since February 2023, following the easing of lockdown restrictions. 

Tims Express sites typically occupy an area of 20sq m and are designed to be installed within existing retail premises, giving partners ‘significant flexibility in positioning'. 

Tims China has opened 46 Tims Express sites in partnership with convenience store chain Easy Joy since August 2022. With a significant 27,800-store network, Tims China said in a press release that the collaboration has ‘significant potential for further growth’. 

The agreement also includes plans to develop co-branded ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages that will be available for purchase across the Easy Joy network. 
 

Tims China has also partnered with Century 21 to provide an on-site Tims Express coffee offer within its offices. The partnership has seen the coffee shop operator open 12 sites to date across the real estate firm’s offices in Chengdu, Suzhou, Beijing and Shanghai. Century 21 has 10,000 offices across over 170 cities in China. 

In March 2023, Tims China commenced a partnership with Haier to scale the Tims Express network in the home appliance retailer’s Sanyiniao stores. The collaboration has begun with Tims Express stores in three of Sanyiniao’s Shanghai stores. 

A retail partnership has also been signed with Ling Ka, described by Tims China as ‘an affiliate of a real estate developer and hotel operator’, which will see branded Tims China coffee products distributed within hotel lobbies across China. The first site of partnership launched at the Courtyard by Marriott in Hangzhou in May 2023. 

“Our local partnerships are pivotal to our growth, and we are positioned well for accelerating network growth as we break ground across China through our franchising strategy,” said CEO Yongchen Lu. 
 

Tims China, which reached 700 stores in July 2023, said 70% of new sites opened in 2023 to-date have been franchised. Partnerships are expected to drive further outlet growth in the second half of the year as Tims China seeks to reach 1,000 stores by the year’s end.  

Shanghai-based Tims China will also relaunch fast-food chain Popeyes in China in the second half of the year following an agreement earlier this year with parent company Restaurant Brands International to develop and sub-franchise the brand.