Starbucks Embarks On Global Expansion Of Via With UK, Japan
Starbucks has said that it will launch Via Ready Brew throughout company-operated and licensed locations in the UK on March 8 and in Japan on April 14.
The company continues to expand Via into grocery, mass and drug accounts in the US and anticipates to double the distribution to 30,000 locations by the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2010.
The nationwide UK launch of Starbucks Via on March 8, builds on the pilot in London. The microground coffee will be available in all of Japan’s 870 Starbucks stores on April 14 under the name Starbucks Via Coffee Essence.
According to the company, the introduction of Via Coffee Essence provides it the opportunity to create a new category in the Japanese home-use coffee market.
Howard Schultz, chairman, president and CEO of Starbucks, said: “Starbucks Via continues to excite customers and represents a significant opportunity for the company to expand our reach through a broadened coffee portfolio.
“Consumers have quickly adopted Starbucks Via as their coffee while on the go. Whether it is brewed as a single cup before leaving the house, while traveling, or at the office, customers have found it is a convenient solution.”
According to the company, instant coffee makes up a majority of coffee purchases in many of the international markets where it has a retail presence, and represents 63% of total coffee sold in Japan and around 80% of coffee drunk at home in the UK.
The company also said that, on March 9, its Via Ready Brew Decaffeinated Italian Roast will be available in Starbucks stores throughout Canada.
Starbucks Via is now available around 15,000 locations in the US and Canada, including company-operated and licensed locations, Costco, Target, REI, Omni Hotels & Resorts and online at Amazon.com, cooking.com, and officedepot.com. More channels are planned in the coming year.
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