Tag Archives: Retail Food Group

RETAIL: Bun Seller Gubuli Tries Coffee, Carrefour Weighs Sale

Bottom line: Gubuli’s foray into the coffee business is doomed to failure, while Carrefour is likely to sell part of its China business to a local partner later this year.

Gobuli tries coffee with Gloria Jean’s

You know the China coffee market is overheated when one of the nation’s most famous names in a traditional food like steamed buns enters the market. That’s what’s happening now, with word that Gobuli Group, a restaurant chain whose name is synonymous with a popular kind of meat-filled steamed buns, is launching a coffee chain joint venture in partnership with Australia’s Retail Food Group.

While the coffee business is quickly overheating, the opposite is true for the traditional supermarket business, which has seen several major western retailers leave the market or scale back operations as they face a growing challenge from e-commerce. Now it looks like French giant Carrefour (Paris: CA) could become the next in that trend, with word that it might consider selling some or all of its China business to a local partner. Read Full Post…