Insider Spotlight
The performance reflects solid execution across key brands and markets, strengthening management’s confidence in the group’s long-term international growth platform.
Coffee and tea momentum
The coffee and tea segment delivered accelerated expansion, led by continued store rollouts at Compose Coffee and Highlands Coffee.
The group cited strong percentage growth alongside a healthy pipeline of new store openings, reinforcing confidence in the long-term potential of its coffee and tea portfolio.
South Korea has emerged as a proving ground for Compose Coffee, operating in one of the world’s most competitive and trend-driven coffee markets.
The brand’s gross store network has surpassed three thousand locations, with net openings nearing the same milestone. The addition of one thousand stores in under 18 months highlights the brand’s scalability, operational efficiency, and strong consumer resonance.
The company said in a press release that Compose Coffee’s rapid expansion has been supported by strong digital engagement and marketing execution.
The brand’s mobile app has reached 17.59 million cumulative users, equivalent to roughly one in three Koreans and about 60 percent of the economically active population.
A collaboration with BTS V drove an increase of 8.3 million new subscribers, reflecting significant cultural influence.
Under new CEO, Hongsuk Kim, Compose Coffee delivered what the group described as its most successful marketing and product campaign to date. The Buyeo Chestnut menu surpassed 400,000 cups sold in its first week, supported by a digital campaign that generated 15 million views.
Vietnam scale
Highlands Coffee continues to anchor the group’s Southeast Asia presence. The brand holds the leading market share in Vietnam, supported by vertically integrated sourcing and roasting capabilities and a diversified beverage and food portfolio.
It serves more than 100 million customers annually through a network approaching one thousand stores and a workforce exceeding 10,000 employees.
Highlands Coffee has doubled its footprint over the past three years, supported by double-digit same store sales and transaction growth that have contributed to operating leverage and strong cash generation.
Chinese cuisine expansion
In Chinese cuisine, Yonghe King accelerated its China footprint with 35 new franchised store openings deployed under a more efficient store model.
The expansion reinforces the brand’s role in strengthening the group’s presence in China, where management has pointed to stabilizing operations and a path back to sustainable growth.
Tim Ho Wan continues to emerge as a strategic growth engine. In Hong Kong, all stores became profitable within six months under Jollibee Group stewardship.
Early performance in the US, including the opening of the Irvine location, has been encouraging and supports management’s conviction in the brand’s scalability.
Across both segments, the group emphasized asset-light growth, franchise-ready formats, and payback periods trending around two years, supporting capital-efficient international expansion. — Princess Daisy C. Ominga | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
