Coca-Cola buys coffee chain Costa for 3.9 billion pounds

London: Coca-Cola on Friday said it had agreed to buy global coffee chain Costa from its owner Whitbread for 3.9 billion pounds (USD 5.1 billion).
“Hot beverages is one of the few remaining segments of the total beverage landscape where Coca-Cola does not have a global brand. Costa gives us access to this market through a strong coffee platform,” Coca-Cola chief executive James Quincey said in a joint statement.