The Coca-Cola Company has completed the acquisition of Costa Limited from Whitbread PLC, which was announced on August 31, 2018. The $4.9-billion transaction followed approval from regulatory authorities in the European Union (EU) and China.
Costa, which has operations in over 30 countries, gives Coca-Cola a significant footprint in the global coffee business. Worldwide, the coffee segment is growing at six percent annually. Costa has a scalable platform across multiple formats and channels, from the existing Costa Express vending system to opportunities to introduce ready-to-drink products.
“We see great opportunities for value creation through the combination of Costa’s capabilities and Coca-Cola’s marketing expertise and global reach,” said James Quincey, chief executive officer, The Coca-Cola Company.
“Our vision is to use the strong Costa platform to expand our portfolio in the growing coffee category,” he added.
“We wish our friends and colleagues at Costa all the very best for their future success,” said Alison Brittain, chief executive, Whitbread, adding, “Whitbread acquired Costa 23 years ago, when it had only 39 shops. Costa has grown to become a leading, international coffee brand, and Coca-Cola is the right partner to take Costa to the next stage of expansion.”
