Barista Coffee via IoT Vending.

Costa Coffee is a leading provider of premium quality drinks in a highly competitive and continually evolving market. Hungry for growth and thriving on innovation the introduction of Costa Express and self-service vending machines has enabled the brand to extend its reach and rapidly increase market share. 

The concept of ‘on-the-go’ coffee has enabled Costa Express to dramatically increase its brand profile and reach. Yet, as a premium brand it’s critical that the machines match the quality, service and experience delivered through barista-made coffee in store. A commanding reputation, a strong track-record in innovation combined with ambitious plans meant that Costa Express needed to deploy an end-to-end IoT service, bringing together best-of-breed services across a range of experienced suppliers. 

Plans for international expansion and the need to transfer data in real-time led Costa Express to explore a variety of IoT solutions. It initially investigated several connectivity solutions, including on-site Ethernet or over-the-air (OTA) cellular connection. However, Ethernet meant relying on the site owner – often a convenience store or forecourt operator – and increased connectivity risk. For example, a modem failing would result in a failed connection, and could lead to lost business, frustrated customers, and trigger a costly engineer site visit. 

Eseye has supported the company in deploying IoT-enabled vending machines, with confidence, and on a global scale.