The Full Stack Leader

Starbucks Closes Online Store to Focus on In-Person Experience – The New York Times.

Interesting move from Starbucks in an era of more and more commerce being done eletronically and at a distance. The goal? To become an “experiential destination” and compete with Amazon by only being offered — via a human connection — in stores.

CEO Kevin Johnson says, “To survive, merchants need to create unique and immersive in-store experiences.” Though I tend to prefer local coffee merchants, I still end up at Starbucks for the consistency and convenience.

Does that include drive-through? What about mobile orders where you just swing in without speaking to anyone? In both cases you’d still experience the smells and sights, and possibly interact with a human. Which is a good thing — human connections build trust, trust builds brand loyalty.

Photo note: I’ve recently started asking for a “real” mug at my local store, to see how it feels.