Costa Coffee: Shop of the Future

Costa Coffee are looking to embrace technology to elevate the customer experience. They are exploring what the world’s most technologically enabled Coffee Shop might look like in 2025, and how those futuristic shops can facilitate meaningful connections over great coffee.

CW (Cambridge Wireless) have been appointed by Costa to bring this ambition to fruition via a one-day "Coffee Shop of the Future Ideation” supported by a plethora of technology companies across the Cambridge-London technology corridor.

Jon Bradford, Director of the Bradfield Centre said;

Naturally, Cambridge is the perfect fit for this Coffee Shop of the Future Ideation; it already has a strong base of renowned technology pioneers as well as being an entrepreneurial hub for startups with easy connections to London. 

Technology companies have until noon on Wednesday 20th September to submit their disruptive idea. Shortlisted applications will be invited to the Bradfield Centre on Monday 25th September where they will receive tailored support from the technology community and mentors to help refine their pitches.

Three successful companies will be invited to pitch to Costa Coffee executives in the finals on 26th September at Costa Coffee’s London headquarters in Holborn.

Mags Dixon who heads up the marketing for Costa in International Markets says:

At Costa we are committed to inviting customers to discover great coffee and we are keen to explore ways that technologies help enhance this experience. It seems that successful brands are always evolving and looking to understand what customers will need in the future.

If you have a vision for the Costa Coffee store of the future which encompasses technology and savvy innovation, please enter here.

Contact details:
For press enquires: [email protected]
For competition information: [email protected]

About Costa Coffee
With over 2,000 coffee shops in the UK and more than 1,240 in 30 overseas markets, we are the fastest growing coffee shop business in the UK. We’re proud to be the UK’s favourite coffee shop, having been awarded “Best Branded Coffee Shop Chain in the UK and Ireland" by Allegra Strategies for seven years running (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016).

Our people are the heart of our business and we employ over 30,000 people worldwide, with a target of 5,000 new jobs in the UK by 2020. Last year, we increased Barista pay by c.10%. Our Pay for progression model was introduced in October 2015, and our training rate of £7.20 was launched well ahead of National Living Wage.

As a popular, mainstream food and beverage brand, we can make a positive contribution towards customer health and wellbeing by investing in safe sourcing, new product development and consumer education. Health and wellbeing remains a strategic business focus area and we will continue to evolve our product offer over the coming years. We are working to reduce added sugar in our drinks by 25% by 2020 and will reduce salt in our sandwich range by a further 5% by 2017.
We care about the communities we operate in with our store teams volunteering over 12,000 hours of their time to lend support to over 2,000 local community projects.

Looking after coffee growers is extremely important to us, which is why we established The Costa Foundation, a registered charity with the aim to relieve poverty, advance education and the health and environment of coffee-growing communities around the world. So far, The Costa Foundation has funded the building of 72 school projects and improved the social and economic welfare of coffee-growing communities.

Costa is also committed to tackling the UK’s literacy challenge and is proud to have signed the Vision for Literacy Business Pledge 2016. In continuation of this commitment, and inspired by the Costa Book Awards and the ongoing work of the Costa Foundation, Costa launched its inaugural Reading Week in September 2016 in conjunction with over 500 schools across the UK.

About Cambridge Wireless (CW)
CW is the leading international community for companies involved in the research, development and application of wireless and mobile, internet, semiconductor and software technologies.
With over 400 members from major network operators and device manufacturers to innovative start-ups and universities, CW stimulates debate and collaboration, harnesses and shares knowledge, and helps to build connections between academia and industry.
CW's 20 Special Interest Groups (SIGs) provide its members with a dynamic forum where they can network with their peers, track the latest technology trends and business developments and position their organisations in key market sectors. CW also organises major conferences and start-up competitions along with other high-quality industry networking events and dinners. With headquarters at the heart of Cambridge, UK, CW partners with other international industry clusters and organisations to extend its reach and remain at the forefront of global developments and business opportunities.

About The Innovation Dividend (TID)
TID is a leading innovation consultancy based in London focussed on helping brands deliver better commercial impact from new ideas. The agency combines classic FMCG marketing skill with a strong network of collaborators to help generate ideas and make them a commercial success.
“New Ideas, That Work.”
For more information: www.theinnovationdividend.com

About The Bradfield Centre
The Bradfield Centre is a collaborative entrepreneurial community of technology start-ups and scale-ups at the heart of the Cambridge Science Park. The new Centre is expected to become the gateway and focal point for Cambridge’s ever-expanding technology cluster. The Centre is the largest of Central Working’s global network of rapidly expanding membership-based communities.
For more information: www.cambridgesciencepark.co.uk/company-directory/bradfield-centre/