It might drive you a little crazy that baristas at Starbucks butcher the spelling of your name on a daily basis, but the company absolutely loves that human touch. It loves it so much, in fact, that it has shut down its online store to increase foot traffic to brick and mortar locations.
Last Sunday marked the end of Starbucks online sales of coffee, mugs and more. The company had announced plans to shutter the operation in August as part of a move to “simplify” its sales operations.
“Every retailer that is going to win in this new environment must become an experiential destination,” Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz told investors in April. “Your product and services, for the most part, cannot be available online and cannot be available on Amazon.”
The decision to shutter the online store will result in some inconveniences, though. It was the only place to buy syrups, like those used to make the company’s beloved pumpkin spice latte. Retail stores won’t sell those to customers — and it’s not sitting well with some of them.
https://twitter.com/lunasumbra/status/914773809978155008
Just found out @Starbucks is closing its online store and I won't be able to order my favorite coffees & vanilla syrup anymore#heartbroken
— Elisa, meowing soda, Cool Ginger Catcan. (@poolgoddess918) October 1, 2017
The decision to close the online store follows Starbucks’ closure of nearly 400 Teavana stores earlier this year.