This is a problem many fast casual and quick service restaurants would love to have. There are reports that Starbucks mobile app orders are generating a high volume of business—sometimes too much—and creating long wait times and frazzled baristas. Starbucks has said that some stores receive more than 25% of orders via the mobile channel at peak hours.
When digital ordering became more prevalent, Starbucks and other restaurants re-aligned store layouts to accommodate pickup of mobile orders. Now maybe another configuration needs to happen. Starbucks mobile app is a category standout and drives customer engagement by integrating payment, loyalty, and personalized marketing offers. Expect to see continued growth of mobile order and pay for coffee shops and quick service restaurants—but latte lovers may sometimes have to wait a little longer before their order is ready for pickup.
The following excerpt from a Business Insider article reports more on the topic:
- Starbucks workers say the chain is letting too many customers place orders on its app.
- They say some stores don’t have the capacity to keep up with demand.
- Starbucks also allows unlimited drink modifications via its app, which staff say they’re sick of.
Customers have turned to the Starbucks app during the pandemic because it allows them to order in advance and without any face-to-face interaction. Some baristas say this has left them swamped with mobile orders, which now make up more than a quarter of its US transactions.
One former New York barista said most of their store’s sales were mobile orders, and that they could get more than seven a minute during busy times. Customers get an estimated collection time when they order on the app. A Starbucks spokesperson told Insider that this helped to stagger arrivals based on how long drinks take to make.
Overview by Raymond Pucci, Director, Merchant Services at Mercator Advisory Group
