Thailand
BCP adds coffee shops in Laos, Cambodia
Bangchak Corporation (BCP), a mostly state-owned energy firm, is planning to increase its Inthanin coffee houses overseas to grow its non-oil business after the pandemic calms down.
BCP chief marketing officer and senior executive vice-president Somchai Tejavanija said the company will start with 3-5 new cafes in Laos.
Inthanin Coffee claims to be environmentally friendly, with a total of 690 outlets in Thailand and eight overseas. The business is run by BCP’s wholly-owned Bangchak Retail Co.
Mr Somchai said the company plans to expand branches under a master franchise and details of the business direction should be unveiled once the outbreak is under control.
Its business expansion has been delayed since the pandemic started last year, after granting a franchising contract to RCG Retail Group (Cambodia) to add coffee shops in Cambodia and Laos.
A flagship store was opened in Phnom Penh in the first quarter of 2018.
BCP previously set a target to add almost 100 outlets in Laos and Cambodia, with a total of 1,000 coffee shops in Thailand by 2025.
As stringent safety measures are being enforced in dozens of Thai provinces to control the new outbreak, Mr Somchai said the company is selling coffee mostly via an online platform and home delivery, the same solutions it used from April to June 2020.
BCP wants to achieve its branch expansion goal by 2025 before venturing into upstream coffee production, including planting and processing, he said.
Inthanin Coffee launched at a Bangchak petrol station in 2006 as a means to increase non-oil retail revenue.
The brand continued to grow and offer standalone cafes in malls, universities and hospitals.
Mr Somchai said BCP plans to spend 1.5 billion baht this year for new projects, including adding 100 new petrol stations, aiming for a total of 1,400 stations by 2025, up from 1,240 last year.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2049479/bcp-adds-coffee-shops-in-laos-cambodia