Starbucks to launch mobile ordering

SEATTLE — Starbucks Coffee Company continues to extend its mobile offerings. The coffee giant will launch mobile ordering in its locations in the Portland, Ore., area by year end, with a full rollout nationwide in 2015.



The mobile-order app will enable customers to place orders in advance of their visit and pick them up at their selected Starbucks location.



“Mobile ordering will deliver convenience, frequency and speed of service and over time, become the fastest and easiest way for customers to order, pay and pick up their purchases,” the company said in a statement.



 Starbucks made the announcement at its Leadership Experience conference in Seattle. In remarks, CEO and president Howard Schultz cited a "seismic shift in consumer behavior in which many traditional brick-and-mortar retailers experienced a decline in foot traffic compared with significant growth in online shopping" last holiday season.



"Since that time, we have been focused on radically redefining the Starbucks retail experience for our partners, customers and stores," Schultz  stated. “As a result of the work we’ve done, Starbucks is poised for a great holiday--our innovation pipeline is strong and we have a number of initiatives ready to launch during the holiday and into calendar 2015 and beyond.”



Starbucks will offer 100 different designs of gift cards during the season. The chain is also launching a holiday promotion whereby a select number of customers can win “Starbucks for Life” by simply swiping their Starbucks Card or paying with their mobile device.



“This is the first time we have ever offered customers something of this magnitude and what better way than to anchor it with our renowned Starbucks Card program,” said Sharon Rothstein, Starbucks executive VP and global chief marketing officer.



On Dec. 5, Starbucks will open the first-of-its-kind interactive Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room dedicated to roasting, coffee education and increased availability of their fast-growing small-lot Starbucks Reserve coffees. The consolidation of small-batch roasting will allow the company to expand their Starbucks Reserve coffee line to 1,500 locations globally as well as open over 100 stores designed to highlight these rare coffees exclusively.