Finance
Malaysia’s largest coffee chain, Zus Coffee, plans to launch 200 new outlets in Southeast Asia this year, according to CEO Venon Tian in an interview with Bloomberg.
Zuspresso, the operator of the Zus brand, is targeting at least 107 new stores in Malaysia, 80 in the Philippines, and six in Singapore. It also eyes to set up the first stores in Thailand and Indonesia this year.
Last year, Zus surpassed Starbucks as Malaysia’s top coffee chain after five years of operation, with 743 outlets compared to Starbucks’ 320.
It also manages 120 stores in the Philippines.
Zus reported a threefold increase in net income to RM37 million (US$8.4 million) in 2024, reflecting its rapid growth.
Tian attributed the company’s success to its market-specific flavors, such as palm sugar-flavored drinks in Malaysia and purple yam-flavored coffee in the Philippines.
Zus, which started out as a kiosk focusing on coffee delivery in 2019, now sees about 70% sales coming from online channels, including deliveries and pickups.
Its tech-driven approach and cost-efficient store construction have enabled it to offer coffee over 20%cheaper than Starbucks, boosting its widespread appeal in Malaysia.
Zus drinks are price in the mid-range in Malaysia, between the RM5 price tag of convenience stores and RM11 of premium stores.
“It’s about how we make quality coffee accessible to most people,” Tian said.
