South Korea’s Compose Coffee to make international debut in Singapore

Compose Coffee currently operates 2,200 outlets across South Korea | Photo credit: Compose Coffee

Compose Coffee is set to open its first international store at Singapore’s Suntec City shopping centre. 
 

Although not yet confirmed on Compose Coffee’s website, hoarding within the mall displays Compose Coffee branding and imagery with the caption ‘opening soon’. 

Founded in Busan in 2014, Compose Coffee has achieved rapid outlet growth to reach 2,200 outlets across South Korea – the majority of which are in Seoul and Busan. 
 

The value-focused coffee chain surpassed 100 stores in 2017 and reached 800 sites just three years later. By the end of 2021 Compose Coffee had nearly doubled its footprint (1,330 outlets) and reached its 2,000-store milestone last year.  

In May 2023, Compose Coffee was named the nation’s favourite coffee shop at the ‘2023 Korea's Most Loved Brand Awards’, run by Forbes Korea and sponsored by South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT and Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. 

Singapore is an attractive market for international brands due to its business-friendly policies and location, which often serves as a gateway to tap into other emerging markets in southeast Asia.  

In March 2023, China's Luckin Coffee made its international debut with two pick-up stores in Singapore. The value- and convenience-focused coffee chain said its Singaporean market entry represented the first step for its overseas expansion. 

In the same month, Japanese conglomerate Marubeni Corporation announced plans to launch Tim Hortons in Singapore. Marubeni is reportedly seeking to open ‘hundreds of new Tim Hortons franchises’ across Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia by 2033.