Starbucks is no longer obsessed with “third places”… The reason for its success is its ability to change quickly.

Last Updated on 08/15/2022 by てんしょく飯

Today, more than two-thirds of Starbucks’ sales come from drive-through, mobile ordering, and delivery.

Starbucks initially built its brand around being a “third place” offering premium coffee.

One analyst said this change shows that Starbucks is adapting well to changing trends

Starbucks (Starbucks) is moving away from its roots in favor of convenience and efficiency.

Today, more than two-thirds of Starbucks orders come from its mobile app, drive-thru, and delivery, the company said in its August 2022 earnings call. In other words, only 28% of customers come into Starbucks and order from a barista, and some of those customers are drinking their drinks inside Starbucks stores.

Starbucks customers seem to like the convenience of a different ordering method, and Starbucks is making it even easier: in May 2022, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that about 90% of new Starbucks stores will have a drive-thru The drive-through is operated by a staff member in the drive-through line. The technology, which allows customers to order through a staff-operated tablet device in the drive-thru line, is in about half of the stores and will be in 65% of stores by the end of 2022, company CEO Howard Schultz said in a telephone conference call.

In the past, Starbucks has closed stores in poorly performing shopping malls to focus on drive-throughs. The chain is also considering drive-thru-only stores. It has already opened order-pickup-only stores and has partnered with Amazon to launch joint Amazon Go stores that only allow mobile ordering and payment.

Starbucks was initially a hugely successful company in popularizing premium coffee and introducing Americans to espresso drinks like café lattes. The chain promoted itself as a “third place,” a place where people gather in addition to their homes and workplaces. However, this concept has come into conflict with the company’s recent emphasis on convenience, and the definition of “third place” has shifted to a “mindset” that goes beyond the physical space.

These changes at Starbucks do not mean that most stores will no longer have seating or gathering places for customers, Edward Jones analyst Brian Yarbrough told Insider. Yarbrough said Starbucks’ focus on drive-through and mobile ordering is partly due to the pandemic, but the shift in priorities was happening even before the new coronavirus pandemic, he said.