Starbucks China jumps on Meituan to curate individual experiences for customers

Starbucks China will partner with Meituan to launch a new service to curate an individual experience for Chinese customers both online and offline, including three major services additions. 

The first of these services include the “1971 Salon”, which is exclusive to Meituan, offering private bookings for coffee experiences at Starbucks stores. In addition, the company has expanded its Starbucks Delivers programme with more order customisation features and established new "Super Store" virtual pages where customers can explore local community events and order directly from Starbucks stores across China.

The "1971 Salon" service also offers customers an option to reserve areas in select stores for private events, or register for experiences organised by their local store. More than 60 stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Chengdu now offer this service Starbucks China is also planning to expand it across the country.

“Technological advancements in the pandemic era have blurred the boundaries between home, work, and the third place. This has inspired us to explore how we can transform a Starbucks store into a ‘1971 Salon’ that offers customers novel ways of experiencing the Starbucks brand that they love and are familiar with, as we unlock new occasions to surprise and delight our customers,” said Leo Tsoi, CEO of Starbucks China.

Meanwhile, customers of Starbucks can now access Starbucks Delivers, the company’s mobile order and delivery service, on Meituan platforms. Expanded features include added beverage customisations, a feature that reallocates orders to another store automatically if a product is sold out at one store but available at a nearby store, and the delivery debut of Starbucks Reserve in China.

Starbucks Rewards members can enjoy the same benefits as using the Starbucks China app.

Lastly, by the end of 2022, each of more than 5,000 Starbucks company-operated stores in China will have a unique page on Meituan's platform, allowing customers to access Starbucks Delivers and Starbucks Now services to order food and beverages online; use the 1971 Salon booking service; and check local events on a digital community board.

Starbucks entered the Chinese market with the opening of its first store in Beijing in January 1999. Currently, it operates more than 5,000 stores, employing more than 66,000 partners in 208 cities. Looking ahead, Starbucks China said it will continue evolving the digital offerings for customers in China through its ongoing partnerships. 

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