Starbucks have announced that in a couple of months time they will begin trialling a coffee delivery service. Yep from the comfort of your own desk you can order your skinny capp from an app.
There will be two pilot schemes being put to the test. The first one is going to be based in Seattle and will see the coffee superchain partner up with delivery startup Postmates. You simply click on the app and (fingers crossed) a still hot coffee or sandwich will find its way to you.
The second test will be based in the Empire State Building. Here, if you work within the building, a Starbucks employee will deliver your coffee straight to your desk. The logistics of how they will be able to track down your particular work station have not been explained, but with mapping services set to improve, potentially they will be able to find you via your phone. An unspecified flat fee for this "Green Apron Delivery" service (named after the colour of the baristas aprons) will be added to every drop off, but there won't be a minimum order size.
Starbucks has long been a leader in mobile payments and the mobile-app space. Adding delivery options to their roster is an exciting advancement and highlights the changes that are currently taking place in delivery services as a whole.
Amazon have recently announced plans to extend its one-hour delivery service, Prime Now, to Balitmore and Miami after a successful launch in Manhattan. For $7.99 more than 25,000 items are eligible to be delivered to you within the hour and, if it exceeds two, then the charge will be wavered. Then there's of course their more ambitious plans of a drone delivery service. Despite the FAA's recent restrictions, Amazon have just been given the green light to take to the skies for some drone delivery test runs. But while we wait for our USB sticks to become airborne, a one hour turn around is already setting a high standard to when it comes to speedy distribution.
When it comes to the idea of Amazon delivering stuff to my door within the hour, I get very excited. Genuinely this would have revolutionised my life when I was a TV runner ("15 bright red buckets coming right up! What's that, a water gun in the middle of winter? No problemo!"). And don't get me started if clothes stores started to offer a similar service. Never again on a Thursday will you be caught out with last minute dinner arrangements. However, when it comes to coffees being delivered to your desk, I think one must err on the side of caution. My logic is this: the very people who are too busy to go and get a coffee, should be the people who head out to get one. I find it ironic that on one hand we have Tim Cook's Apple Watch telling us to stand every hour and on the other a Starbucks service that positively encourages you to stay chained to your desk.
Don't get me wrong I'm sure Starbucks' plans will be successful and help advance the development of the delivery service industry, we just don't want to be sacrificing our sanity for meals on wheels.