Starbucks offers mobile device users location-finding serviceStarbucks offers mobile device users location-finding service

Alan Liddle

SEATTLE Starbucks Coffee, based here, is offering a store-locator service in North America for users of cell phones and wireless computing devices capable of text messaging or Internet browsing. The initiative also targets thirsty adherents of in-car global positioning satellite navigation technology.

"Thousands of customer calls come in each year requesting help finding a Starbucks store while they're on the road. We've developed this in response to our customers' requests for an easier way to locate Starbucks close to them," said Lisa Passe of Starbucks Corp., parent of the chain that operates or licenses to others more than 9,400 U.S. outlets. She said the company had "nothing to share" related to usage figures for the service that launched March 1.

Through the locator service, consumers can receive via text message a list of nearby Starbucks outlets by texting a zip code to MYSBUX, or 697289. Passe said mobile marketing services provider Air2Web, with U.S. offices in Atlanta, is behind the text and the wireless application protocol, or WAP, functionality built into the store locator system.

Consumers may also navigate to thewww.starbucks.comwebsite referenced in reply text messages using the browser software on their cell phone or mobile device, if any. Once on the site, they can hunt for stores by ZIP code, city or street address, and they also will find color maps included with their search results. Results obtained using the website search include icons indicating whether a store has a drive-thru and wireless Internet access, and they support one-touch dialing of the coffee bar phone numbers displayed.

Starbucks' website detects if the consumer is using a mobile device and redirects such devices to Internet pages specifically formatted for viewing and data entry using such small-screen handhelds.

Representatives of Starbucks said the chain has provided store data to mapping companies, which has made it easier for users of GPS navigation systems to find the coffee bars without the need to perform a special search.

Starbucks' Passe said there is no loyalty program tied to the locator service. She noted that mobile device users were able to text the key word BREAK to MYSBUX to receive reminders about the "Starbucks Coffee Break" brewed coffee giveaway on March 15 in the United States and Canada.

The locator service is free, except for the normal text messaging or Internet browsing fees charged by a user's cellular phone carrier or wireless Internet services provider.