Starbucks Corp.’s new chief executive officer, Brian Nichol, is trying to end the mosh pit that forms at stores as customers gather to retrieve their to-go orders.

Right now, “it’s a free-for-all,” Nicole said in an interview Wednesday. “It’s a first-in, first-out kind of thing.”

Niccol’s solution is to use an algorithm that tells workers the order in which drinks are made and that notifies customers more accurately when their drinks will be ready. He also wants to move the pickup point for digital orders away from the ordering counter.

The new CEO made his inaugural earnings call on Wednesday after taking over the helm of the company last month, offering more details on his plan to halt growth after three straight quarters of same-store sales declines. A key part of his vision is to make Starbucks welcoming again, whether customers dine in or take out.

Nichol said Starbucks will keep its mobile ordering and drive-thru options, but he thinks a better environment could entice customers longer. “I hope people are also questioning like, ‘Man, if I have this moment, I think I’d rather go into the store.'”

Nicole has also committed to simplifying the menu, including by offering fewer but better food options. He knows nixing certain drinks or snacks might upset some customers, but he’s betting they’ll be happier in the long run because of the improvements he plans to introduce.

“I would love the heat, because it means people care,” Nicole said. “The things that people are indifferent to, they just go one way. I’m happy to say that we’re not a brand that people walk on.”

(Other than the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)



Source link