After months of planning, Starbucks is set to implement its collaboration with Spotify into stores.
Starbucks originally partnered with the free music streaming service in May. The partnership enables customers to find songs playing in Starbucks outlets, and even control playlists themselves.
“Music has played a pivotal role in our stores for over 40 years and we have been at the forefront of how to integrate it into a retail environment,” said Starbucks Chairman and Chief Executive Howard Schultz.
“We are merging the physical and digital, providing new access points for Spotify as they continue to grow globally, placing more control into our customers‘ hands and giving artists the world‘s largest stage for them to share their talent.”
“Starbucks shares our passion for music and desire to create the best, personalised experience for users and customers,” added Spotify CEO Daniel Elk. He boasted that the companies are “creating a unique new digital music experience.”
Many retailers are looking to music to enhance customer experiences. In September, Burberry launched its own channel on Apple Music, where it offered subscribers exclusive content. Amazon also branched out into streaming with Amazon Prime Music.
Innovation has been the name of the game for Starbucks in recent months. In October the coffee chain opened a new concept store, Star Reserve, which offers customers alcoholic beverages, as well as waiters using iPads to collect orders in place of a traditional counter.
