Apple inks WiFi deal with Starbucks
updated 03:00 pm EDT, Wed September 5, 2007
Apple, Starbucks buddy up
Apple today announced a new partnership with coffee drink company Starbucks to allow users of the iPhone and newly introduced iPod touch to access the iTunes Store and purchase the currently-playing Starbucks musical track with the touch of a button. Starbucks founder and chairman Howard Schultz took the stage at Apple's special event in San Francisco, informing onlookers that the coffee shop chain opens seven stores every day. Starbucks serves 50 million customers per week in more than 14,000 stores, according to Schultz, and sees 18 visits per month per customer. The coffee giant is also planning to roll out more stores in the near future for a total of 5,800 WiFi-enabled stores nationwide.
Starbucks will open 600 new stores starting October 2nd in New York and Seattle, followed by another 350 stores in San Francisco in November. Los Angeles and Chicago are scheduled for new store openings in 2008, and the company hopes to complete all store openings by 2009.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
Technically cool
I mean, it's a cool application from a technical perspective. I don't go to Starbucks, so I see any personal value in it, but this could be a cool testbed for up and coming tech. If you could do something like this at any major retail outlet that plays background music, that would be slick.