HONG KONG, 22 OCTOBER 2008 – Forget about the queues and coins. At one Starbucks store in Korea, customers can now buy their coffee at their ‘Ubiquitous Tables’ -- tables equipped with touch screen surfaces and operating on mobile technology.
Today, Korea opens what’s claimed to be the world’s first IT-based Starbucks store. It’s located inside SK Telecom’s experience centre, which is equipped with mobile technology provided by Korea’s wireless communication provider SK Telecom.
Joyce Park, general manager of the Starbucks Coffee Korea public affairs team, said: “At Starbucks, we always strive to offer a unique ‘third place’ experience to our customers and this store serves as a perfect example of our’ innovative culture.” Traditionally, Starbucks customers order and pay at cashier counters.
The 116 square-meter-pilot Starbucks store, coffee-lovers can choose, order and pay while sitting at their ‘ubiquitous Tables’. Once an order is placed, the information is immediately transmitted via mobile technology to the store’s system. When an order is ready, a message appears on the screen to remind customers to pick up their items at the counter. Customers can pay through mobile payment service by entering their mobile phone number for authentication, regardless of what carrier they use.
At these ‘ubiquitous Tables’ customers can also enjoy various infotainment from the touch screen, including mobile music portal, movie portal, online shopping, IPTV, and online games.
