Starbucks Launches Voice Ordering via Amazon Alexa

Starbucks nows lets you place an order for your favorite coffee drink through Amazon Alexa by simply saying “Alexa, order my Starbucks.” But there are a couple steps before it’s that simple. Users must first have all their order and payment information logged into their Starbucks phone app. Then, users must have placed at least one Starbucks order through the app to use the Alexa skill.

Even though the Starbucks Alexa skill relies heavily on the company’s phone app, this is a smart move by the coffee giant to increase its digital footprint. Starbucks, despite being one of the most recognizable brands in the world, has still taken a hit from the “Amazon Effect.” Or lower foot traffic due the rise of e-commerce spending. To combat this, Starbucks began to heavily invest in creating a digital experience alongside its stores to great effect. Mobile order and pay transactions represented 7% of transactions, up 3% from the year prior. Mobile payments now account for more than 1 in 4 transactions. Adding Alexa to the mobile experience could increase these numbers and help Starbucks fight the “Amazon Effect” with the help of Amazon’s technology.