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Starbucks Corp. has announced the return of personal reusable cups to U.S. stores on June 22, but there will be a few new rules for customers to follow in order to make the experience contactless.
Starbucks
SBUX,
baristas will first check to be sure the refillable cup is clean. Once that’s determined, the cup is placed in a ceramic mug, the beverage is made and deposited in the personal cup, and the order is handed off to the customer once again in the ceramic mug. Baristas don’t touch the personal cup.
Starbucks says it has done trials of the system in other countries, and is testing ways to add a reusable cup option to the drive thru.
Offering use of refillable cups is part of the coffee seller’s plan to reach its environmental goal of cutting waste in half by 2030. Before the COVID pandemic, 80% of Starbucks beverages were to-go. Customers will continue to receive a 10-cent rebate for using personal cups.
But even as retailers take steps toward bringing back some of their pre-COVID perks and practices, there have been adjustments for the sake of cleanliness and safety.
Costco Wholesale Corp.
COST,
recently said it will bring back food sampling and food court dining, but sampling will come with restrictions, like only offering items that aren’t cooked.
See: Costco is slowly bringing back food sampling and food court dining
Also: Starbucks’ summer menu includes a Strawberry Funnel Cake Frappuccino and Unicorn Pops
Other retailers, including Kroger Co.
KR,
and Walmart Inc.
WMT,
have relaxed mask rules for vaccinated customers.
Starbucks stock is up 4.6% for the year to date while the S&P 500 index
SPX,
has gained 12.6% for the period.
