Coffee shop chain Starbucks is extending its delivery service in the US with the launch of a new subscription delivery service.
As part of the new scheme, subscribers will receive monthly shipments of the company’s limited edition reserve coffees, freshly delivered in 8.8oz bags. It shows that the company “wants to woo a growing niche of coffee aficionados who are interested in where their coffee is grown,” according to The Wall Street Journal.
But the cost of subscription is already receiving attention, and could be as much as two and a half times the price of Starbuck’s closest competitor in the subscription category. Dunkin’ Donuts’ has operated a similar service for a number of years, and in 2010 it refrained from increasing the cost of its bagged coffee in spite of rising commodity prices.
Starbuck’s will offer subscribers a choice between monthly, quarterly, half-yearly and yearly payment options; paying one month at a time will cost $24.99, while the cheapest option reduces that figure by less than one dollar per month.
The “small-lot coffees” are roasted at Starbucks’ reserve roastery and tasting room in Seattle, Washington, which opened in December last year. The service has been in development for more than two years and was “designed to provide the highest quality coffee”, delivered within three to five days of roasting.
The company’s president and chief executive officer, Howard Schultz, said: “Starbucks reserve roastery subscriptions are – aside from visiting the roastery and having our partners scoop the coffee right in front of you – the freshest, fastest and most innovative whole bean coffee experience in the marketplace.
“The reserve roastery and tasting room has redefined what customers expect from a brick-and-mortar retail experience. Combining the magic of this unique retail theatre with our digital infrastructure brings two of our best assets together and ensures that customers can experience the world’s rarest coffees in the privacy of their own homes, or anywhere else they might want the most premium coffee we offer.”
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