Mastermind the Franchise for an Entire UK'Region. The Merchant Tea &'Coffee Company comes to the UK

A visionary brand already proven in Australia and configured for international expansion has opened its flagship store in St. Albans and is seeking ambitious entrepreneurs to establish a chain of its high concept tea and coffee cafes across 10 large territories in the UK

Through a combination of experience and innovation The Merchant Tea & Coffee Company has developed a successful retail coffee and tea franchise business. The Merchant concept was founded on the creation of an ambience that is truly colonial in feel, stemming back to the origins of the tea and coffee plantations found around the world, an ageless ambience recognised and accepted around the globe by the most discerning of tea and coffee drinkers.

The creative use of building materials such as timber, granite, brass, copper and rattan with distinctive colour schemes creates an overall store presentation which is unique to The Merchant. The ambience is combined with a focus on providing only the finest loose leaf teas, coffees and complimentary foods that The Merchant has sourced.

Consumption of tea and coffee worldwide is increasing. The growth of public awareness of the health benefits of tea is the catalyst for The Merchant's extensive selection of the finest loose leaf teas. The appreciation of superior coffee is timeless.

The concept has been further enhanced with the story of The Merchant, who appears in all brand logos and is portrayed as the key character in The Merchant who: 'drifts the lands in search of the finest teas and coffees.'

THE MERCHANT BUSINESS MODEL
The Merchant's Business Model is to operate its franchised tea and coffee cafes under Regional Area Development Licences. The purpose of The Merchant Corporate head office is to provide Sales Service and Support to the Regional Area Developer to build their franchise network within their region. Marketing, supply chain, training, lease negotiation, store design and operational support is provided to the Regional Area Developer via The Merchant Corporate head office Support Team.

A Merchant Regional Area Developer is in business for themselves, but never by themselves. The Store Franchise Model is based on the 'keep it simple' principle. The focus of simplicity at the retail outlet level allows the franchisee to focus on their primary objective to build sales through delivery of The Merchant's Product, Service and Ambiance systems. The Merchant has comprehensive operations manuals.

An important aspect for The Merchant is the way Team Members are engaged to deliver the brand to fulfil customer needs. Training and management of the Team is of particular importance. The Merchant has developed a simple but strong business model.

BUSINESS HISTORY
The Merchant has over 17 years of successful retailing. The flagship store in Australia opened its doors in 1990 and soon became an icon for tea and coffee connoisseurs. By 2001 the founding directors had developed a business concept that would be accepted internationally. It was at this point that the franchise model was refined and implemented into the Australian market.

Following success in the Australian market, additional development was conducted creating a franchise system to expand internationally projecting a high quality concept and brand. The Merchant relocated its Corporate head office from Australia to the UK.

The Merchant opened its UK flagship cafe in June 2008 at St Albans. The franchise store has proved to be very successful, trading strongly with excellent customer acceptance and already a solid customer base, which continues to grow. Customer feedback highlights The Merchant's point of difference lies with consistent quality of coffee and tea products, range of sweet and savoury food offering, customer service and unique store ambiance. The store has proved a resounding success.

The Merchant Tea & Coffee Co is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Merchant Group International PLC which is listed on the PLUS Markets, London.

THE MARKET
The UK café market has been in a growth pattern. Analysts are predicting that the leading brands should double in size within the next decade at the expense of the local tea shops and greasy spoons. A cup of tea or coffee outside the home has become a ritual for more and more people and the cafe is the meeting place that is fast replacing the traditional pub or bar. The Merchant has produced a formula that gives customers what they are looking for and they keep coming back.

Reported by: CEO & Managing Director Dan Bright