Who knew that drinking coffee would become such a market-moving event? Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz added another steamy leg to his business model this week in a deal positioning Spotify to be the sole provider of streaming music for all 7,000 Starbucks stores. Starting this fall, U.S. Starbucks customers who are part of its rewards program can choose what music will play in the stores they visit. Plus, they can immediately pay for the music in-store with Starbucks rewards points – like plunking virtual quarters into a digital juke box.

Key Takeaways:

• Starbucks unveiled an innovative conversation ordering system, called My Starbucks Barista, powered by groundbreaking Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the Starbucks Mobile App.
• Leadership in coffee is at the heart of Starbucks innovation. Born from the Seattle Roastery, Starbucks will introduce the Cascara Latte to customers nationwide in January.
• A new breakfast option arrives in January of 2017 with the introduction of Sous Vide Egg Bites—a wheat-free, low calorie, high protein, convenient breakfast.

“Expect more food innovation from Starbucks early in the year with the regional rollout of organic soups, expansion of Starbucks Bistro Box selections, and introduction of more fresh grab-and-go lunch choices—salads, sandwiches and desserts—made fresh and delivered to Starbucks stores daily.”

https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/10-starbucks-innovations-watch-including-new-app