Starbucks has just released its five year global growth plan, and (in true Starbucks fashion) it’s very digital.
At its biennial Investor Day conference, the company unveiled My Starbucks Barista, a conversational ordering system – think Siri that can order Starbucks coffee. The feature would allow customers to place orders and pay either via voice commands or through a messaging system.
“Starbucks Mobile App customers will be able to place their orders via voice command or messaging interface, delivering unparalleled speed and convenience, enhancing customer loyalty and engagement, and further extending the accessibility of the Starbucks app,” the company said in a release. The feature will first roll out to iOS users in limited beta, early next year.
The company currently has more than 12 million Starbucks Rewards members, up 18% year over year. Additionally, eight million customers use mobile at the checkout – 25% of total payments – with a third using Mobile Order & Pay feature.
The company’s Global Chief Strategy Officer Matt Ryan announced another payments product this morning: a general purpose prepaid rewards Visa card, in collaboration with Chase. “Anywhere Visa is accepted, you can use something that functions like your Starbucks reward card and get rewards, everywhere you shop,” Ryan explained. “The ability to have those rewards be redeemed in Starbucks is a win for us, and a win for our customers.”
As part of the Chase partnership, the coffee giant rolled out Chase Pay capabilities in its stores last month.