Local coffee chain Cama Cafe (咖碼咖啡) yesterday said it aims to open at least 20 stores in the second half of this year after adding 10 stores in the first half, while introducing mobile payment services and improving the management of existing outlets.
“We have 120 Cama stores in Taiwan as of this month and plan to reach 140 to 160 at the end of this year,” a company official told the Taipei Times by telephone.
Sales this year are expected to increase up to 5 percent to NT$714 million (US$22.97 million), compared with NT$680 million last year, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“The company plans to launch a flagship store in Taipei early in the fourth quarter,” which would have more space than normal stores, she said.
To promote the use of mobile payment systems, Cama yesterday began offering coupons and gift certificates to customers paying through the Cama Pay app using Cathay United Bank (國泰世華銀行) credit cards.
“We aim for a higher number of members by releasing new services and promotions through our app,” the company said in a news release.
Cama also plans to allow its customers to store money on the app and use it for purchases at its outlets.
Cama Pay, released in October last year, has more than 230,000 registered members, Cama said.
Shopping data collected by the app would be crucial for the company’s business model and product development, it said.
As the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday draws near, the company plans to release coffee and tea gift boxes designed by local tea brand Ateliea Tea, Cama said.
The company also plans to go public, aiming for a listing on the Emerging Stock Market at the end of this year and trade its shares on the Taipei Exchange at the end of next year, it said.
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