Costa Coffee sales up

Not all businesses are struggling in the current climate. Costa coffee has seen sales rise by 17{06aeb1921e0b802d2bd9c766bc98fb11cc6a46c2b0593ed9c88a0e29cf417a34} in the last three months (to 27 November). Whitbread, who also owns Premier Inns confirmed they additionally saw growth in the hotel chain division of 15.4{06aeb1921e0b802d2bd9c766bc98fb11cc6a46c2b0593ed9c88a0e29cf417a34} following a heavy rotation advertising campaign for its hotels in recent months. Costa has seen rapid growth in recent years, in part because of a backlash against key rival Starbucks, over the US multinational’s tax arrangements. Protests started at Starbucks during 2012 after it was revealed that despite operating in Britain for more than a decade it rarely made a profit. Costa has also expanded globally and now employs more than 10,000 in 29 countries, operating around 5,000 outlets of varying size. The company continues to roast its beans in Lambeth, central London, in premises used for the last 40 years. It has also expanded its self-service outlets rapidly across the UK and now has them fitted in more than 2,700 locations. Whitbread said it still plans to open around 4,500 new Premier Inn rooms in the UK and some 230 net new Costa stores worldwide this financial year.   Source: Sky News