The Coca-Cola Company Completes $4.9 Billion Costa Deal
The Coca-Cola Company has completed the acquisition of Costa from Whitbread. The $4.9 billion transaction follows approval from regulatory authorities in the European Union and China. The acquisition was first announced on August 31, 2018.
Costa, which has operations in more than 30 countries, gives Coca-Cola a significant footprint in the global coffee business. Worldwide, the coffee segment is growing 6% annually. Costa has a scalable platform across multiple formats and channels, from the existing Costa Express vending system to opportunities to introduce ready-to-drink products.
“We see great opportunities for value creation through the combination of Costa’s capabilities and Coca-Cola’s marketing expertise and global reach,” says James Quincey, chief executive of The Coca-Cola Company. “Our vision is to use the strong Costa platform to expand our portfolio in the growing coffee category.”
Whitbread acquired Costa 23 years ago, when it had only 39 shops, and has since developed it into a leading, international coffee brand.
