Starbucks’ mobile ordering service that allows customers to pre order their favorite drinks hours before even getting to the café will now be available worldwide. The new mobile service will enhance customer experience in the country’s largest coffee retailer, making ordering morning coffee revolutionary.
The mobile ordering service has been switched on in most of the U.S. Initially, the service was only available in selected states across the country for testing but has now been expanded to its 7,400 locations. A statement from the company on Tuesday added the service, which was fully compatible on Apple and Android devices, would be hitting its locations in the UK and Canada by October.
According to Starbucks Chief Digital Officer Adam Brotman, “This is really meeting our customers’ needs for convenience in a way that’s never before been possible. It’s another channel that’s bringing additional business to the store.”
Mobile order and pay started out in December 2014. It was launched in Portland, Oregon before spreading to the Pacific Northwest early this year. By Summer, the service was active in 17 states.
The company is increasingly focusing on mobile tools to boost U.S. sales. As it stands, any of the world’s largest coffee retailer’s customers pay using their mobile phones. Starbucks estimated that the number totaled approximately 20 per cent of the company’s revenues transactions.
The availability of services such as Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay allow customers to pay for services from selected retailers countrywide. The new Starbucks Order and Pay will offer a number of distinct advantages: customers will be able to pre order and pre pay from wherever they are, saving them from the draining hassles that are order queues and waiting for their drinks to be prepared.
Other restaurants are also testing mobile services. Taco Bell introduced a similar service last year that allowed their clients to pre order food and pay ahead through their phones. The company reported that customers using the app made more than $10 in purchases on average.
McDonald’s plans to introduce a mobile app for its 14,350 locations in the U.S. this year. Dunkin Donuts has a similar rewards program that has attracted more than 3.2 million members.
Starbucks hopes the new service will increase sales for the retailer and possibly, in time, be introduced in all their locations across the globe. Brotman said, “This has been so well-received that we’re excited to be looking at potentially every store around the globe. But it’s still very early.” Through the service, Starbucks will give its users the best ordering experience, devoid of queues and waiting lines.
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