Another One! Lavazza Acquires Well-Known Coffee Brand to Expand Market

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According to reports from American investment research institutions, Lavazza recently announced that it has proposed to acquire French coffee retailer MaxiCoffee, offering an attractive acquisition contract, though no financial details were disclosed. This acquisition is understood to be aimed at strengthening its position in France and enhancing Lavazza's presence in the French market and e-commerce sector.

Lavazza: Italian Premium Coffee Heritage

Lavazza Coffee is a century-old premium Italian coffee brand, born in 1895 in Turin, Italy, founded by Luigi Lavazza. The brand has a history of over 120 years. Spanning the entire century, LAVAZZA carries rich Italian traditional colors and is sold in over 80 countries worldwide, occupying 45% of the global market. At LAVAZZA, you can not only enjoy mellow, rich Italian coffee but also choose from Italian light meals, Italian ice cream, and fruit juices.

In 2020, Lavazza Group and Yum China formed a joint venture to jointly operate Lavazza coffee shops in China. Subsequently, Lavazza's first coffee flagship store outside Italy opened in Shanghai, featuring large areas of blue, white, and gold as the main color scheme, complemented by Italian elements such as marble, brass, and glass mirrors, exuding luxury and premium quality in its simplicity.

It is said that visiting LAVAZZA stores is not just about drinking coffee but rather experiencing an Italian-style artistic space. With its high-quality coffee, innovative cuisine, and immersive Italian cultural atmosphere, Lavazza coffee shops quickly gained favor from industry professionals and consumers. In just over two years since entering China, it has already opened 78 stores, with the goal of opening 1,000 stores in China by 2025.

MaxiCoffee: French E-commerce Coffee Leader

MaxiCoffee, established in 2007, currently employs approximately 1,500 people and is a French coffee brand primarily focused on online sales. It is France's number one online retailer of coffee beans and equipment, serving customers through an e-commerce platform that features over 350 brands and more than 8,000 products. The company also has 60 sales points throughout France, offering equipment including manual and fully automatic Italian coffee machines, pour-over kettles, moka pots, etc. Their coffee beans include Italian blend coffee beans, specialty pour-over coffee beans, flavored coffee beans, and green beans for home roasting...

Strategic Acquisition Details

Lavazza Group's proposal to acquire 100% of MaxiCoffee's equity aims to provide better services to customers through this e-commerce platform and strengthen its influence in the e-commerce sector. MaxiCoffee stated on its official website: "Choosing Lavazza is because it has over 120 years of experience and is an innovative brand in the coffee industry. Globally, Lavazza is synonymous with the true Italian espresso concept and is currently the market leader in product quality."

Lavazza CEO Antonio Baravalle stated in a declaration: "This acquisition of MaxiCoffee is part of our international development strategy. It will maintain its image as a multi-brand e-commerce platform and remain independent. Our involvement will not change a successful business model in any way. On the contrary, it will promote its growth by activating our international development plan."

Acquisition Completion and Lavazza's Expansion History

After the acquisition completion, MaxiCoffee's capital is jointly held by its founder Christophe Brancato, Italian private equity group 21 Invest, and other minority shareholders.

In fact, as early as 2015, LAVAZZA began its acquisition journey, acquiring French coffee brand Carte Noire for 800 million euros. In recent years, it has continuously intensified its efforts, successively acquiring Mars Drinks' coffee business, France's Carte Noire and ESP, Denmark's Merrild, Canada's Kicking Horse Coffee, and Australia's Blue Pod Coffee, among others, rapidly expanding globally.

However, whether in deepening market penetration or seeking new profit support points, in this competitive coffee track, Lavazza faces continuous challenges in its second-half battle.

Image source: Internet

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