It is no secret that Starbucks is in the middle of an overhaul in an attempt to woo back customers to its cafés, and part of that plan is to streamline its menu by cutting 30 percent of it over the next year in favour of simplified workflows and faster service. The company also plans to add digital menus to stores across the U.S. and Canada over the next 18 months to speed up ordering and improve clarity for customers depending on the time of day.
These changes are in response to same-store sales falling four percent last year over the same period the previous year, but the decline was still less than the 5.5 percent analysts expected and outperformed the previous quarter, when global same-store sales were down seven percent.
In addition to menu changes, there are other customer-focused changes being instituted including the return of ceramic mugs with free refills in store, an end to extra charges for non-dairy milk, and the addition of staff to some stores to better pace service, particularly in facilitating mobile orders. Customers will now be required to make a purchase to use the café space, including restrooms.
