Starbucks is spending $1 billion to upgrade 9000 stores, including buying new chairs as they look to create an oasis for “lonely and disconnected” people.
For a lot of people, a trip to Starbucks is a pretty quick thing. You head inside, make your order, and continue on with your day. That speedy transaction has seen the coffee giant convert plenty of stores over the last few years, moving away from letting people sit down for long periods.
There are still plenty of customers, however, who want to spend their day at a Starbucks. They head in, order coffee, use the free WiFi, and people watch during moments when they’re not working. Though, stores did have to ban people from bringing full desktop set-ups with them.
In a bid to try to win people back to spend longer periods at their stores, Starbucks is upgrading things – spending around $1 billion on new chairs and upgrades.
Starbucks is spending big money on new chairs to attract customers
That’s according to the Financial Times, who managed to speak to Dawn Clark, Starbucks’ senior vice-president of coffee house design and concepts.
“The world is coming back to this, being in a place and meeting with humans, not being distant,” she told the FT. “We’re not focused on changing major functional issues. We’re really focused on creating a warmer and more welcoming experience for customers.”
As noted, that includes 25,000 chairs, rugs, and books to stock up bookcases. It’s designed to build a “community lounge” that will help “lonely and disconnected” people.
Unsplash: TranceStarbucks CEO Brian Niccol echoed that, saying the brand is “getting back to Starbucks,” by “connecting with customers.”
Niccol did come under fire back in May, calling Starbucks’ $9 coffee “really affordable” as a “premium experience” for some customers.
Some customers questioned that, asking: “What is premium about a drive-thru window?”
Well, it appears the ramp-up of thousands of stores is connected to that, with upgrades to come.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
