Your weekly round-up of the five biggest stories from across the global coffee industry...
- Major retailer acquires South Africa’s largest coffee chain
- Trending beverages deliver another record year for The Nero Group
- COFE Tech secures $178m valuation in pre-IPO funding round
- Jollibee Group shelves US IPO plans in favour of East Asia listing
- Walmart ramps up competition with major US F&B delivery firms
1. Major retailer acquires South Africa’s Vida e Caffè
South Africa’s largest branded coffee chain has been snapped up by one of the region’s largest supermarket retailers.
Shoprite’s 100% acquisition of Vida e Caffè could provide a new platform for growth, with Western Cape-based Shoprite planning to consolidate its existing coffee offering under the Vida brand.
With over 400 stores globally and plans to expand into Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets, Vida e Caffè is set for a period of accelerated growth.
2. The Nero Group achieves third successive year of record annual sales
London-based The Nero Group has reported record annual sales across its portfolio of coffee chains, led by strong trading and outlet growth for its Caffè Nero brand in the UK.
However, growth was not limited to the group’s home market, with 16 stores added in the US as part of its acquisition of Washington D.C.-based Compass Coffee in February 2026.
The Nero Group CEO Gerry Ford hailed the chain’s “leadership role” in the premium coffee segment, with cold coffee and matcha transactions continuing to lead the way for the six-brand group.
3. COFE Tech secures $178m valuation in pre-IPO funding round
Founded in Kuwait in 2019 as a coffee delivery and e-commerce app, COFE Tech, formerly COFE App, has evolved into a broader supply chain management, procurement, digital services and AI platform.
It currently serves more than 1,000 businesses across 3,000 outlets in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE, with prominent coffee shop partners including Saudi Arabia’s Barn’s, Kuwaiti specialty coffee operator 20 Grams and UK coffee and food-to-go chain Pret A Manger.
The Riyadh-based business is now gearing up for further growth after attaining a $178m valuation in a pre-IPO funding round, led by Saudi Arabian venture capital firm Wa’ed Ventures.
4. Jollibee Group drops US listing plan
In January 2026, Filipino foodservice giant Jollibee Group announced plans to spin off its international business and list it as a standalone entity in the US by the end of 2027.
The move, intended to unlock new investment opportunities and more disciplined capital allocation for Jollibee’s international F&B businesses, could have significant ramifications for its branded coffee shop portfolio, which includes Compose Coffee, Highlands Coffee and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.
In a 1 September update on the proposed plan, Manila-based Jollibee confirmed it is now targeting The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (HKEX) for the listing.
The market update was accompanied by the appointment of its international division CEO, who will oversee the fast-growing Compose and Highlands chains.
5. Walmart to take on US delivery giants with new Dunkin’ deal
Arkansas-based Walmart made its first foray into QSR delivery in June 2026 by utilising its sizeable 1,400 in-store Subway kiosk network and adding the fast-food brand to its existing delivery app.
After assessing the success of the trial, Walmart is adding a second QSR chain, Dunkin’, to its roster to capture a share of the country’s $473.5bn F&B delivery market.
The new partnership will initially be limited to the dozens of Dunkin’ stores located within Walmart’s network, before being rolled out across Dunkin’s wider 10,000-store US estate.
Primarily strengthening Walmart’s last-mile delivery aspirations, the collaboration also opens new incremental sale opportunities for the US coffee giant.
