Shoprite announced plans to acquire more than 400 Vida e Caffè stores on Tuesday to diversify beyond groceries and gain market share in the coffee on-the-go sector. ^[1] Shoprite confirmed during its recent results that it is acquiring the coffee chain Vida e Caffé. ^[2] Shoprite CEO Pieter Engelbrecht stated that the group's supply chain network would be a significant advantage for Vida e Caffè, noting that adding 400 stores to the existing 4,000-store distribution system would be cost-effective. ^[3] Shoprite reported annual sales of R270.8bn in the year ended June, with a trading profit of R16.2bn, up 12.2% from the previous year. ^[4] The proposed acquisition is one of two deals described as focused acquisitions of scalable, asset-light businesses, with the total cost for the Vida deal and the acquisition of a 51% stake in R&A Cellular estimated at about R1bn. ^[5] Coffee price inflation in the sector has averaged around 10% in recent months, driven by bad weather conditions, poor coffee harvests, and higher diesel costs. ^[6] Shoprite reported that inflation for goods sold in its local Checkers branches was just 2% in the year to the end of June. ^[7] The author notes that competitors like Pick n Pay are forced to compete against Shoprite on pricing to recover market share. ^[8]