The Hindu Business Line : Fresh 'n Ground to add 100 stores

Coffee Day's filter coffee powder retail store chain `Fresh 'n Ground' plans to enhance its presence in the South by adding another 100 stores by the end of the current financial year.

Fresh 'n Ground currently has a network of over 370 stores, which sell 22 blends of fresh grounded filter coffee powder across Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. About 70 per cent of these stores are self-owned while the others are franchisees.

Strong growth

"We are seeing very strong growth opportunities ahead of us, and this is the right time for us to make the most of it through expansion. Growth is coming not only from our freshly ground powders, but also from our packaged filter coffee offering," said Mr C.J. Jayanth, Business Head, Fresh 'n Ground. The retail chain has been recording a steady growth of 20 per cent across all the southern States. Apart from selling the freshly ground coffee, Fresh 'n Ground plans to tap the growing market for packaged filter coffee market in the South.

Packaged blend

At present the company already has a packaged blend — Coffee Day Perfect — made up of 57 per cent coffee and 43 per cent chicory and has been receiving good response in Tamil Nadu.

Confident of a larger market for packaged filter coffee powder, Fresh 'n Ground will be introducing Coffee Day Perfect in other southern States and make it available in over 50,000 retail outlets across the South in the next 12 months.

New variants will be added as per market opportunities, said a company press release.