Starbucks is closing its online store as a 'seismic shift' hits the retail industry
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The company will close its online store on October 1, a Starbucks representative confirmed to Business Insider.
Starbucks' online store sells items such as glasses, mugs, coffee brewers, and espresso makers, in addition to coffee, tea, and beverage syrups. People will still be able to buy items currently sold online at third-party sellers like Amazon and Starbucks' grocery partners.
"We're continuing to invest in amplifying Starbucks as a must-visit destination and are looking across our portfolio to make disciplined, thoughtful decisions," Starbucks spokesperson Maggie Jantzen said.
She added: "Continued integration of these digital and mobile customer connections into our store experience is among the highest priorities for us, and to enhance that focus we've looked for ways to simplify our current efforts."
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Jantzen said that Starbucks will keep frequent visitors of the online store up to date on product availability, especially as certain items sell out.
As Starbucks shutters its online store, the coffee giant is looking to build "commercial partnerships" with digital companies.
"These partnerships, we believe, will enable us to leverage our brand, our global retail footprint, and the customer base in order to extend our reach," CEO Kevin Johnson said in a call with investors in late July.
Starbucks is also growing its consumer packaged goods (CPG) business, selling items such as K-cup pods and bottled Frappuccinos in grocery stores. Earlier in August, Starbucks announced that it would begin selling its new bottled Pumpkin Spice Latte in grocery stores later in the month.
Starbucks has made serious investments in digital over the last few years, as executives have witnessed retailers struggle to cope with the rise of ecommerce. Currently, mobile payments make up 30% of Starbucks orders in the US.
"Retailers who are agile and reimagine the art of the possible will be big industry winners," Johnson told investors on the industry's "seismic shift" towards digital and mobile. "Those who do not will struggle mightily."
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