The move highlights Starbucks’ renewed focus on enhancing CX by prioritising human interaction and atmosphere over speed alone.
Starbucks has announced the closure of its café concept designed exclusively for takeout orders, six years after its introduction. This decision comes as the format no longer aligns with the company’s overall strategy, which is facing certain challenges.
“We found this format to be overly transactional and lacking the warmth and human connection that defines our brand,” said Brian Niccol, CEO at Starbucks.
Launched in New York in 2019, the pick-up only stores encouraged customers to order via their mobile app and wasn’t meant to be a place to linger, like a traditional location that has seating.
The move highlights Starbucks’ renewed focus on enhancing CX by prioritising human interaction and atmosphere over speed alone.
Niccol stated that the company’s “strong digital offering” with its app “can deliver the same level of convenience through our community coffeehouses.” Moreover, Niccol has stated that Starbucks is also building a “small format version” of its stores with just 10 seats in New York City.
“We believe this new prototype will deliver an exceptional CX, improve unit economics and unlock growth opportunities in more markets,” said Niccol.
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