Starbucks & Postmates Debut Delivery Service in Seattle

SEATTLE — Starbucks Corp. is collaborating with on-demand delivery service Postmates to launch a pilot program that lets customers order Starbucks food or beverages for delivery within designated areas of Seattle.

Starbucks Delivery by Postmates is the latest addition to the company's digital offerings and is an extension of the Starbucks Mobile Order & Pay feature of the Starbucks app.

"Our customers are highly engaged with Mobile Order & Pay, placing five million transactions a month, so delivery becomes a natural extension that provides another easy and convenient way to meet them where they are in their day," stated Starbucks Chief Digital Officer Adam Brotman.

Starbucks first explored delivery earlier in 2015 when it brought Starbucks Green Apron Delivery to New York City. The company announced the service, which was specifically designed for a dense urban environment, in March before launching it inside the Empire State Building in October.

Now customers in the Seattle test area can select "Delivery" when placing orders via the Starbucks iOS app. This gives them access to the customization options available at any Starbucks store, as well as the opportunity to earn stars, exclusive offers and perks through the My Starbucks Rewards loyalty program.

The Starbucks Delivery by Postmates pilot is launching in the downtown Seattle, South Lake Union, Capitol Hill, Madison Park and Sodo areas.

"At Postmates, we take great pride in being able to provide this convenience for Starbucks customers," said Bastian Lehmann, Postmates co-founder and CEO. "Local, on-demand delivery is the future of commerce and we're excited to work with the incredible team at Starbucks to make this service available."

Postmates also began working with convenience store chain 7-Eleven Inc. to provide on-demand delivery in certain regions in July, as CSNews Online previously reported.

Once a customer builds and places a food or beverage order, it is transmitted to the Postmates system and a Postmates courier is dispatched to the closest Starbucks location. The Starbucks and Postmates systems select the store that is closest to the delivery address to ensure the customer receives the highest quality product. Customers can then track the progress of the delivery by watching the Postmates courier travel in real-time on a map.

As with Starbucks Mobile Order & Pay, Postmates couriers will be able to skip the in-store line to pick up delivery orders. Initially, customers will receive a 60-minute window for delivery, but Starbucks predicts that most orders will arrive in less than 30 minutes.