Global Beverage Giant Coke Completes Acquisition of Costa from Whitbread PLC which is a publicly listed company in the UK.

Coca-Cola today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Costa Limited from Whitbread PLC in a USD$4.9 billion (£3.9 billion) transaction follows regulatory approvals in the EU and in China.  The buyout was first announced at the end of August last year.

Costa has operations in more than 30 countries and this deal gives Coca-Cola a significant footprint in the global coffee business.   The worldwide growth rate of 6% PA in the coffee industry makes this a bold and strategic move by Coke due to Costa having a scalable platform across multiple formats and channels.  Costa started more than 23 years ago and from a humble beginning has grown to have more than 3,000 stores and more than 7,000 premium vending machines under the sub-brand Costa Express supplying a range of ready-to-drink products at the fingertips of consumers.
“Costa gives Coca-Cola new capabilities and expertise in coffee, and our system can create opportunities to grow the Costa brand worldwide. Hot beverages is one of the few remaining segments of the total beverage landscape where Coca-Cola does not have a global brand. Costa gives us access to this market through a strong coffee platform. I’d like to welcome the team to Coca-Cola and look forward to working with them.” – James Quincey (President & CEO of Coca-Cola).