Nespresso is opening its first Café Nespresso in the UK with a unit in Cheapside, London.
The rollout will also include the first Nespresso Cube in the UK - an automated facility outside the café where people can buy coffee capsules selected and packaged for them in seconds by a robotised order-picking system.
“Café Nespresso is our latest innovation in the retail and service arena,” said Nespresso UK & Ireland general manager Francisco Nogueira. “As we have seen through the expansion of our boutique offer, there is a great deal of demand from UK customers for our range outside of the home. Café Nespresso is the next step in our customer experience.”
The London branch will be a pilot to test the café formula in the UK. It follows the first Café Nespresso, which opened in Vienna last year. Nespresso also has shops across Europe, in Africa and in Asia with 13 in the UK including at Westfield London, Bluewater and Brent Cross shopping centres.
Initial expectations were for Café Nespresso to open in London in early 2016 but the outlet is now expected this summer.
Positioned in the heart of the City of London, it will serve the company’s 23 Grand Cru coffees alongside a selection of premium foods. Customers will also be able to buy the capsules with the automated Nespresso Cube outside for instant ordering.
“London has a thriving coffee culture. It is the European city with the highest number of coffee shops, which makes it an ideal home for the brand’s second pilot café,” said Nogueira.
“The café will offer coffee lovers the unique opportunity to indulge in the Nespresso experience at their own pace, while allowing them to purchase our Grand Cru coffees in a fast and convenient way through our latest retail innovation, the Nespresso Cube.”
Nogueira said it was too early to say if any further cafés would follow. The cube is already in seven other countries.
“We will be closely monitoring and evaluating the success of this second pilot café in London when we open. If consumers respond well to this new experience, we will consider rolling out the concept in other cities.”
Nespresso said retail expansion continued to be a priority as consumer demand in the UK and Ireland grew. In 2016, it would be focusing on new locations for both its permanent shops and pop-ups so customers could try its Grand Cru coffees and talk to its specialists.
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