Ever waited (and waited) for your Starbucks Coffee order? The chain shared updates on the various initiatives it's undertaking to make the process even faster on its quarterly conference call.
Delivery: The coffee giant is moving ahead with previously announced plans to introduce delivery in the second half of this year.
Starbucks
Scott Mlyn | CNBC
On the company's earnings call Thursday, CEO Howard Schultz explained that Starbucks is "finalizing plans for two distinct delivery models, one of which utilizes our own people and the other of which leverages the capabilities of a third-party service.
The company plans to share more info on delivery in the coming months but says the service will increase sales, at least incrementally, and generate more customer loyalty.
NYC express locations: Busy New Yorkers can expect speedier service in new "express" locations the company plans to open in the city as part of a pilot project. The locations will offer a streamlined assortment of food and beverage offerings and integrate Starbucks' mobile payment and mobile order and pay, Schultz said.
Mobile order and pay: By year end, customers in the U.S. will be able to use mobile order and payment in stores nationwide. Customers have long been able to pay with their phone through the Starbucks app, but the mobile order feature will be new. Last month, the retailer introduced mobile order and pay in Portland as part of a test, which it said was "extremely well received." Next up to get the technology will be more than 600 stores in the Pacific Northwest.
To use the service, customers will place their order ahead of time and go to the store they select to pay and pick up the order.