Costa eyes loyalty scheme for vending business

Costa Coffee is planning to extend its Coffee Club Loyalty programme to its self-serve coffee business Costa Express.

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The coffee business currently offers its Coffee Club members five points per pound on all purchases in its UK stores which can be redeemed against purchases.

It hopes to extend the scheme so that customers using is convenience vending machines located in places like motorway services, universities and hospitals, can also collect loyalty points.

Jim Slater, managing director of the Costa Enterprise division, says adding Costa Express to its Coffee Club scheme is on the company’s “to do list”. He adds: “The Costa Coffee Club has worked very well, having a particularly positive impact on consumption frequency. It would be great to incorporate it into our Costa Express machines.”

The news comes as rival Starbucks is facing a backlash from customers following the introduction of its My Reward programme. A number of customers on its Facebook page have complained that the new scheme offers fewer benefits to regular customers.

Costa, which restructured its business around four divisions in December, believes that its Enterprises division, which includes Costa Express, will account for 25% of the Group’s profit growth.

It hopes that the new structure and focus on growth will help transform the business into a global company and “the world’s best loved coffee brand”.

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