COSTA
Costa express franchised machine items and sweet range products . The first format is the international franchise business - we have a group of franchise partners with which we cooperate and they are essentially our customer .
“ Because we are not contractually empowered to impose solutions , relationship management plays a crucial part . We have developed over the years a mutual respect and our Partners believe in the quality of service that we provide .
“ The second group is composed of countries in which Costa Coffee shops are operated by entities in which Whitbread PLC has an equity stake . These are our stores in Poland , France and Singapore ; they are still perceived a customer to supply chain but the level of engagement is different compared to a franchise partner . We have , in this instance , greater impact on what choices are made and what specific solutions implemented .
“ The third format is through joint ventures which we predominantly have in China . This is an essential requirement to growing a successful business over there . We have two JVs in China . This business is supported by DHL , a leader in supply chain / logistics services in the region who manages for us warehousing and distribution . The international supply chain team supports them with strategic directions as well as providing key products from the UK supply base .
The company ’ s operations in China are certainly cause for much celebration , since it can now boast over 350 stores ( the most
32 December 2015