Starbucks (SBUX) is testing a new way for customers to pick up their orders without even getting out of their cars.
One location in Snoqualmie, Washington now offers curbside pickup—people can put their orders in through Starbucks’ mobile app, and then have a barista bring their food and coffee out to their cars when they arrive. Mark Kalinwoski, an analyst at Nomura, told Business Insider that this advancement takes mobile ordering “to the next level.”
“Customers using the Starbucks mobile app to order and pay (apparently for this store only) can choose to have their order delivered to them curbside by a barista, so that they don’t even have to get out of their car to get their order,” Kalinwoski said. “We’ll be curious to see how this one-store test fares and if other non-drive-thru Starbucks stores test out curbside pickup.”
Starbucks has already been offering in-store pickup for about two years—customers place their orders in the app and get to skip the line when they pick it up at the store. It’s uncertain whether the coffee chain has plans to expand this new service.
Curbside pickup is also offered by retailers like Walmart (WMT), Kroger (KR), and Harris Teeter, which let consumers place an order online and have an employe load their cars when they get there. Target (TGT) has also made an attempt at offering curbside pickup, but it wasn’t exactly a success. The service, which was offered in partnership with the Curbside app, was terminated in June.
Starbucks could not immediately be reached for comment.
