Tchibo operates nearly 900 coffee shops across Europe | Photo credit: via Shutterstock

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Tchibo has acquired Italy’s Caffè Molinari for an undisclosed sum. Originally founded as a grocery store in 1804, Caffè Molinari is coffee roaster, processor and distributor with a presence in more than 60 countries, including Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
 
Caffè Molinari joins Tchibo’s ranks alongside the Smokin’ Bean, Piacetto and Espresso Warehouse coffee brands.
 
The Modena-headquartered company is the latest Italian coffee roaster to be acquired by a larger international company. In November 2021, Germany’s Melitta Group took a 70% stake in Arezzo-based Corsino Corsini, which produces premium wholebean, ground and capsule coffee products.
 
In June 2021, Coca-Cola bolstered its presence in the European retail coffee market by acquiring a 30% minority stake in premium Italian retail coffee company Casa Del Caffè Vergnano.
 
Founded in Hamburg 1949, Tchibo is a coffee roaster, retail coffee brand and distributor that also operates around 550 branded cafés in Germany and a further 320 across Europe.
 
Tchibo’s retail coffee products are available at more than 24,300 retail locations in eight countries, including the US, where the company partnered with distribution company Rainmaker Food Solutions, LLC in late 2020. In July 2021, that partnership saw Tchibo introduce retail coffee products at more than 180 Jewel-Osco supermarkets in Chicago.
 
Tchibo, which is controlled by holding company Maxingvest, reported revenues of €3.1bn ($3.5bn) in 2021, a 1% rise on the year previous as supermarket sales and e-commerce helped the company ameliorate Covid-19 disruption to out-of-home sales.