Starbucks is making a series of changes to its digital experience, including greater personalization and conversational recommendations. The new features are intended to capitalize on the vast scale of the chain’s rewards ecosystem and app userbase, according to a press release issued earlier this week.
The coffee giant updated its app’s interface “ahead of the holiday season” with a new menu design that the brand said makes it easier for consumers to navigate, find new products and customize their orders, Paul Riedel, Starbucks’ senior vice president of digital and loyalty, said in the statement.
Next year, Starbucks will add a greater degree of personalization to its app experience that will change everything “from what customers see when they open the app to how they discover food and beverages that fit their tastes and preferences,” Riedel said.
Further changes to discovery include conversational product searches.
“A customers [sic] could describe what they’re looking for, such as something comforting when they’re feeling under the weather, and receive relevant recommendations,” Riedel wrote. “From there, the experience could allow them to continue the conversation, customize their choice and ultimately place their order.”
Earlier this year, the brand began testing a way for consumers to discover drinks through ChatGPT’s conversational interface.
Additionally, in 2027 the chain will expand its order-scheduling tool, which currently permits only same-day scheduling, to include next-day scheduling abilities. The brand will add delivery ordering to its app next year, and give delivery customers who order in-app the ability to earn rewards points. The chain also said it will test a drive-thru ordering artificial intelligence assistant for baristas, though Riedel offered few details on its function.
The changes overall build on the company’s efforts in recent quarters to reduce friction in digital ordering and make its digital experience more intuitive. Greater personalization could increase frequency or brand loyalty, but digital recommendations could also function as a form of upselling, convincing consumers to trade up from a routine purchase to something more customized or indulgent. Increased check size has been a significant factor in Starbucks’ recent same-store sales growth.
