The UK’s largest coffee chain is the latest café brand to partner with Sainsbury’s for an in-store café offering following Starbucks, Caffè Carluccio’s and Greggs
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The Costa Coffee store at Sainsbury’s Farlington Superstore in Portsmouth | Photo credit: Costa Coffee
Costa Coffee will open 11 new stores within Sainsbury’s supermarkets this year as part of an expanded partnership with the UK retailer.
The inaugural store opened on 15 February 2024 at Sainsbury’s Farlington Superstore in Portsmouth, with Costa Coffee set to invest £3m ($3.8m) to expand the collaboration.
Costa Coffee already has more than 1,000 Costa Express self-serve coffee machines at Sainsbury’s stores and petrol stations, which collectively sold 10 million cups of coffee in 2023. Sainsbury’s also stocks Costa Coffee’s ready-to-drink and at-home packaged coffee ranges.
“We are excited to join forces with Sainsbury’s, bringing our much-loved Costa Coffee experiences to shoppers nationwide. We’re proud that we will soon be able to make a difference to customers looking to catch up with friends and family over lunch or enjoy a beloved Costa coffee after their weekly shop,” said Nick Ridley, Property Director, Costa Coffee.
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Costa Coffee is the UK’s largest branded coffee chain with around 2,680 company-owned and franchised stores. The Bedfordshire-headquartered coffee chain also operates stores in partnership with UK clothing and home products retailer Next and within UK hospitals via franchisee WHSmith.
London-based Sainsbury’s currently operates more than 1,400 UK stores. The supermarket chain previously operated a 200-strong own-brand Sainsbury’s Café network but began closing sites in March 2022 as part of an overhaul of its food and beverage offer.
The revamp includes expanding its in-store Starbucks partnership – which now comprises 70 stores – and the rollout of Boparan Restaurant Group’s The Restaurant Hub concept, which includes the Caffè Carluccio’s, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Ed’s Diner and Slim Chickens brands.
Sainsbury’s in-store food and beverage offering also includes its on-the-go 1869 Coffee kiosk concept, an extensive range of We Proudly Serve Starbucks self-serve coffee machines, Krispy Kreme concessions and a pilot Greggs store, which launched in October 2023.