Canadian coffee chain confident in Chinese market despite COVID-19 resurgence

SHANGHAI, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Tim Hortons, an iconic Canadian coffee chain, is upbeat about the Chinese market in spite of the recent COVID-19 resurgence.

Lu Yongchen, chief executive officer of Tim Hortons China, told Xinhua on Friday that the company will continue to increase its presence in the Chinese market despite the resurgence of the COVID-19 epidemic in Shanghai.

It plans to operate more than 800 stores in China by the end of this year, and over 2,750 by the end of 2026, according to Lu.

As one of Canada's largest restaurant chains, Tim Hortons made its Chinese debut with its first store in Shanghai in 2019. The company currently operates around 200 units in Shanghai and about 450 across the country.

The latest resurgence of COVID-19 infections, which brought Shanghai to a standstill, had a big impact on the catering industry, with most of the Tim Hortons stores in the city suspending businesses, in line with local COVID-19 response requirements.

In response to customer demand, 15 Tim Hortons stores in Shanghai launched a group-buying service on April 16, providing over 2,200 communities with food and drinks via contactless delivery.

Community transmission of infections has now been cut off in all 16 districts of Shanghai. With the city inching back to normal, it has announced that offline business of shopping centers and department stores will resume starting June 1.

"We're looking forward to the reopening of business, stocking up in preparation for full operation, and at the same time accelerating epidemic prevention," said Lu, adding that he is confident of a recovery of consumption.

Lu noted that the epidemic has changed people's consumption habits, with the demand for take-away orders higher than before.

"I believe the difficulties will end soon. We are confident in the Chinese consumer market, especially the coffee market. Our brand's investment in China will continue to increase," said Lu.