Romania’s largest coffee chain is scaling its retail portfolio following the strong performance of its ready-to-drink range over the last two years
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5 to go’s new ‘This is frappé’ brand will be aimed at both at-home and B2B customers | Photo credit: 5 to go
Romania’s 5 to go has launched a new ready-to-drink (RTD) frappé range to bolster its burgeoning retail coffee segment.
The coffee chain said its new ‘This is frappé’ brand will be aimed at both at-home and B2B customers, with the one-litre cartons the largest by volume in its RTD portfolio and the first of its kind to be sold in Romania.
The Bucharest-based coffee chain, which is approaching 500 stores, reports that its RTD beverage range has gained a 15% share of its business since launching in 2021.
Alongside RTD products, 5 to go’s retail segment also comprises branded coffee pods, vitamin waters and coffee syrups.
“The development of the 5 to go portfolio addressed to the retail segment is an important step for the development and strengthening of our brand. The 5 to go retail division is expanding, and only two years after this segment was accessed, it has already reached a 15% share of business. With each product launched, we have been able to reconfirm the trust of our consumers, who have the opportunity to experience the taste of 5 to go outside our cafés through a wide variety of products,” said Radu Savopol, co-founder of 5 to go.
Launched in 2015, 5 to go operated 475 stores, the majority of which are in Romania alongside a small presence in Hungary, as of the end of its first quarter. In January 2023 the coffee chain announced plans to open 150 outlets to reach 600 sites by the end of the year.
In February 2023, the coffee chain announced a partnership with Carrefour which will see the supermarket chain introduce a new ‘Coffee Corner 5 to go’ concept in 11 Carrefour stores and stock 5 to go retail products across its Romanian stores.
Further highlighting the strong market potential for RTD coffee products in Romania, Nestlé debuted a new four-strong NESCAFÉ Barista Style range in the eastern European country in July 2023.
The Swiss food and beverage giant cited the RTD segment in Romania as currently matching packaged wholebean coffee sales in retail settings.