Starbucks is hoping to attract customers with a little gift: a free reusable straw.
On Wednesday, anyone who buys a cold handcrafted drink, like an iced coffee or its new energy drinks, of any size will get a free, brightly colored reusable straw. The giveaway is part of Starbucks’ broader efforts to become more sustainable and hopefully generate sales.
The straws are available in the US and Canada while supplies last to be given out at its cafes and on orders via third-party apps, like Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub.
Starbucks said that the reusable straws are “compatible with the Starbucks cold cup lid and most reusable Starbucks cold cups.” Its locations phased out plastic, disposable straws in 2020 and offer biodegradable straws with “sippy cup” lids in their place.
The chain has also been ramping up discounts and offers in the past few months in an attempt to rev up sales after a disappointing quarter. Starbucks doesn’t often offer giveaways, other than its yearly handout of free plastic red cups during the holiday season.
Sustainability has been an area of focus for Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan. The chain also is rolling out new cold cups that use up to 20% less plastic compared to the current version.
The cups are part of its ongoing sustainability efforts to reduce waste and carbon emissions in half by 2030. Similar to other large companies, the chain says it wants to cut down reliance on plastic because the material is mostly made from fossil fuels.
Read the full article here
