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China’s Cotti Coffee Pushes Into German Cities With 99-Cent Espresso Launches

A court ruling permits such loss-leader pricing in NRW, raising pressure on small cafés.

Overview

  • The chain has opened initial sites in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Düsseldorf, with additional North Rhine-Westphalia locations reported.
  • Launch promotions through the app advertise an espresso for €0.99, an Americano for €1.99 and a latte for €2.99, with regular prices in Cologne moving to about €2 for espresso and €2.70 for Americano after the opening phase.
  • Cotti’s model centers on app-only ordering, small to‑go outlets and minimal staffing to cut costs and scale quickly.
  • Independent cafés and industry voices say they cannot match the prices given higher bean, energy and operating costs, warning of unfair pressure if prices sit below full costs over time.
  • Regional reporting cites an Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf decision allowing aggressive pricing, while the company offers limited detail on bean origins and claims about 18,000 stores in 28 countries.