Coffee Planet's recipe for success: Thriving amidst challenges through people-centric growth

By prioritising people and investing in holistic growth, Coffee Planet exceeded its targets, proving that its recipe for prosperity lies in its commitment to its employees and customers.

The past few years have been challenging for companies, with many facing unprecedented disruptions and uncertainties in the global business landscape. Despite the significant setback, many companies were also able to not only bounce back but thrive.

One of these adaptive and innovative companies is Coffee Planet, which 14 years after its inception, achieved its strongest growth in 2019. The pandemic then came along, hitting many of the channels that Coffee Planet played in, such as hospitality and food services, and forcing the company to reposition itself to align with market conditions.

Coffee Planet focused on reinvesting and reinventing itself, laying the foundation for what would become a record-breaking year in 2022. The company revised its strategy and objectives. It introduced new models and focused on market-leading coffee and service “from crop to cup” through innovation that included new products and propositions.

Fueling Growth and Sustainability

By 2022, Coffee Planet prioritised building depth across all of its channels with the aim of reaching the following: double-digit growth, growth in targeted channels (HORECA & OCS, private label, international, and brands), and maintaining new customer acquisition levels, thus increasing customer retention and global reach.

At the core of Coffee Planet’s “pyramid” growth model was investing in people and promoting a holistic growth mindset. This was supported by business-wide training, funding employee certification, sales incentives, training, equipment, and service models.

The beans used by the company are ethically sourced, and they are focused on sustainability and whole-cycle coffee production, with initiatives and programmes developed towards reducing the impact on the environment. 

Investing in People

Now actively present in 14 countries, Coffee Planet continues to go from strength to strength in its commercial performance, with 2023 on track to even exceed the previous year’s record-breaking performance for the business. However, the secret behind this rise does not lie solely in market strategies or product innovations but also in its profound commitment to investing in people.

One of the cornerstones of Coffee Planet's success has been its approach to training.  Furthermore, cultural changes were made so that all colleagues were equally focused on attracting new customers but also serving existing customers with the highest service levels and increasing value in the solutions delivered to them. The company has also committed substantial resources to the training and development of all its people. This investment has also given rise to a group of individuals known as "Coffee Planet coffee experts," who are equipped with the skills and knowledge to excel in their roles. This ensures that customers receive unparalleled service and the highest quality coffee.

Remarkably, Coffee Planet has nurtured five Q-Graders within its ranks, a remarkable feat considering that this accolade represents the pinnacle of coffee-tasting accreditation. This emphasis on expertise underscores the company's unwavering commitment to delivering the finest coffee experiences to its customers.

In today's dynamic business landscape, the ability to adapt swiftly to changing market conditions is essential. Coffee Planet's agility in this regard is a testament to its success. For this, the company received awards in the Middle East National Business Awards and Middle East Management Excellence Awards for the Food & Beverage and Team of the Year - Food & Beverage categories, respectively.

Coffee Planet’s remarkable growth through a clear business plan and strategy is not just about numbers; it's about the people behind the scenes who have made it possible. The company's approach to incentives, dedication to training, flexibility, and unwavering commitment to its employees have laid the foundation for its extraordinary success. As Coffee Planet continues its journey, one thing is clear: investing in people will always be at the heart of its recipe for prosperity.

The Middle East Management Excellence Awards is presented by Asian Business Review Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2024 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's employee engagements and management initiatives, please contact Jane Patiag at [email protected].