Starbucks Expands Pick-Up Concepts With Amazon Go Store Tieup

(Bloomberg) -- Starbucks Corp. is expanding its move into locations focused on pick-up service, announcing a combo store with Amazon.com Inc. in New York.

Customers can grab a coffee without waiting in line by using the Starbucks app to order ahead of time. The Seattle-based companies are planning two more of these stores, which will also sell certain Starbucks food such as protein boxes. 

Starbucks previously said it would open 50 pickup locations by the end of this year in densely populated urban areas; This new concept with Amazon is separate from that. The location with Amazon includes a seating area with tables, power outlets and USB ports.

Amid the pandemic, companies are ramping up on-the-go options as consumers seek less contact and quick service. Automation efforts have found renewed urgency amid a massive labor shortage that doesn’t seem to be easing. Starbucks has said it’s raising wages to help attract and keep baristas. Some of its employees in the Buffalo, New York, region are seeking to unionize.

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