June 15, 2011 04:07 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Customers Will Be Able to Experience the Fastest Way to Pay at More Than 9,000 U.S. Starbucks Stores with Their Android Device™
Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) today announced the latest offering of the Starbucks mobile platform with the launch of Starbucks for Android™ app providing more consumers access to the fastest way to pay and other features to manage their Starbucks Card on-the-go. In addition, the company announced that Safeway, Inc., one of the nation’s largest supermarket chains, plans to rollout mobile payment in July at nearly 1,000 Starbucks in Safeway supermarkets across the United States, including the company’s Vons, Pavilions, Dominick’s, Randalls, Tom Thumb and Genuardi’s stores. Starbucks for Android is available through Android Market™ for Android phones running 2.1 or above and follows the successful rollout of Starbucks Card Mobile Apps on other platforms. With mobile payment capability at nearly 6,800 U.S. company-operated Starbucks stores and more than 1,000 Starbucks Target locations, bringing mobile payment to Starbucks Safeway stores will extend the reach of Starbucks mobile payment to roughly 9,000 Starbucks locations across the country.
“The expansion of our mobile payment footprint has been driven by customer interest and input. With the addition of Starbucks for Android to the Starbucks app line-up, a Starbucks mobile payment app may now be used on approximately 90 percent of smartphones currently in use,” said Adam Brotman, vice president, general manager, Digital Ventures at Starbucks Coffee Company. “Starbucks is committed to providing customers richer experiences – both in our stores and on-the-go. By expanding mobile payment capabilities to Android smartphones and with Safeway now offering mobile payment in its close to 1,000 Starbucks locations, we’re giving customers the opportunity to experience mobile payment in more ways and at more Starbucks locations.”
Starbucks for Android Features:
Starbucks for Android, available from Android Market, is available for Android phones running 2.1 or above and is designed to offer a rich user experience, specifically addressing Android interaction paradigms including device hardkeys and action bar softkeys. Starbucks for Android allows users to:
- Pay with your phone: Enjoy the fastest, more convenient way to pay at nearly 6,800 company-operated stores as well as more than 1,000 Target stores and coming this summer to nearly 1,000 Starbucks locations in Safeway stores. Just download the app, enter your Starbucks Card number, scan and go.
- Manage your card account: Access your Starbucks Card balance directly from your phone.
- Reload your card balance: Use your smartphone to reload your Starbucks Card using any major credit card.
- Check your My Starbucks Rewards status: Find out how close you are to earning your next free drink.
- Find nearby Starbucks stores: Save time by finding a Starbucks store near you.
Starbucks Starbucks Delivers on Customer Requests
The introduction of Starbucks for Android and expansion to nearly 1,000 Starbucks in Safeway stores was fueled by customer requests and the growing customer interest in mobile wallets. “We’ve received a tremendous number of requests on MyStarbucksIdea for a Starbucks app for Android,” says Brotman. “We’re excited to introduce an Android app that our customers can use as part of their daily routines.”
Starbucks mobile offerings build on the popularity of the Starbucks Card and My Starbucks Rewards loyalty program. Today, one in five transactions in U.S. Starbucks stores are paid for with a Starbucks Card. “Our customers have shown us that they love the utility, convenience and fun of our mobile apps and especially the ability to pay with their Starbucks Card using a smartphone. My Starbucks Rewards members, in particular, have been quick to adopt mobile payment as part of their everyday visit,” says Brady Brewer, vice president Starbucks Card and Loyalty. “While mobile payment is the top feature, customers’ next favorites are the ability to reload their Starbucks Card and track their progress toward their next free drink in the My Starbucks Rewards program.”
Starbucks for Android is available for Android phones running 2.1 or above. To download Starbucks for Android, visit Android Market at https://market.android.com/.
About Starbucks Corporation
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting the highest-quality arabica coffee in the world. Today, with stores around the globe, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at www.starbucks.com.
Android and Android Market are trademarks of Google, Inc.
About Safeway www.Safeway.com
Safeway Inc. is a Fortune 100 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America, based on sales. The company operates 1,694 stores in the United States and western Canada and had annual sales of $41.1 billion in 2010. The company’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SWY.
