Starbucks has not only been a pioneer but also an ardent user of front-line digital technologies when it comes to the retail of coffee and other associated products. From being the first major chain to integrate digital payments in its app to introducing Mobile Order & Pay to create a better buying and checkout experience for the customers, Starbucks has done it all. Today, this enterprising coffee retailer is all set to know every nuance of its consumer’s coffee habits, thanks to Starbucks barista, the latter’s in-house Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.
Starbucks Barista backed by AI will leverage voice-recognition technology and allow users to speak to the app to place an order. The new add-on will make Starbucks’ already-convenient mobile ordering system even simpler.
Streamlining operations with AI
The biggest challenge that was faced by Starbucks in terms of technology was the lack of uniformity in their most popular app called Mobile Order & Pay. The crux of the problem- there are presently 22 different versions of this app functioning in as many countries. The app needs to have a unified experience along with personalization and a consistent reward program across the world. This is where the AI and cloud solutions come in as these technologies are extremely capable of streamlining the operations and amplifying productivity.
Connecting with customers to boost sales
Artificial Intelligence (AI), big data, and Internet of Things (IoT) are some of the groundbreaking inventions that are revolutionizing nearly every industry. While AI has proved to be a reliable answer for glitches in industrial operations from the last few years, the basic technology is gradually being adopted by retail vendors with Starbucks being the latest example.
In a presentation at last year’s investor day-Dec 7, the popular American coffee chain company laid out its next big move for cruising ahead of the curve when it comes to employing technology into its retail business. The next big step by Starbucks, which has already been integrated, is evolving the platform with the most popular AI solutions to accurately use what it has learned pertaining to its customers and backed by this knowledge, serve them better.
This technology follows on what Starbucks has already been using at the ground level. At present, the world’s leading coffee brand is capable of using real-time data to make unique offers to customers through email. However, going forward, with the assistance from data-driven algorithms powered by AI, Starbucks will be in a good position to deliver personalized experiences that gets better the more a particular customer interacts with the coffee chain.
Boost business with comprehensive market insights
It is empowering to witness how AI can further help Starbucks in achieving their goals while also ensuring to give the chain an edge over rivals like Panera and Dunkin. Soon, AI will likely influence all major business verticals, especially the retail sector. As per experts at Technavio, this technology is performing in line with all the hype and is expected to witness long-ranging adoption in the retail sector. Similar insights can be gleaned from the market research report listed herein.
