Eyeing digital-savvy consumers

New trend: A woman leaves a Starbucks Coffee cafe in Beijing. The chain is cashing in on online social networking initiative to attract consumers. — Reuters

BEIJING: Online social networking has become the new trend for on-premise coffee chains to get connected with digital-savvy Chinese consumers, even as the companies intensify their brick-and-mortar store expansion in the country.

Starbucks China, a unit of United States-based coffee giant Starbucks, has introduced Starbucks Now service on WeChat mini-programme, featuring “taking-out for He/She” and “Coffee Social Circle” to order drinks as greetings or to share one’s beverage preferences. These two functions are also available on its official mobile application.