Starbucks Revitalization Initiative to Shift Focus to App and Rewards

Starbucks plans to enhance its mobile app, its mobile order-and-pay offering, and its rewards program in 2026 as it continues its “Back to Starbucks” plan for revitalizing the coffeehouse brand.

Company executives said this during a Tuesday (July 29) earnings call in which they reported a decline in comparable store sales but pointed to other metrics they said highlight the progress Starbucks is making with its plan.

“This quarter, we’ve made meaningful progress, and we are ahead of our expectations,” Starbucks Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol said during the call. “We’re moving quickly to transform both the business and the culture. We’re testing, learning and focusing on the work that has the biggest impact, fixing the operational foundations of the business and building a platform for innovation in 2026.”

Niccol announced the “Back to Starbucks” plan in October, saying the company aimed to revitalize its U.S. operations and elevate the customer experience by prioritizing coffee quality and ensuring baristas have the support they need to deliver exceptional service.

During the quarter ended June 25, Starbucks saw its global comparable store sales decline 2%, with its North America business down 2% and its international business flat, according to a Tuesday earnings release.

“While our financial results for the quarter don’t yet reflect all the progress we’ve made, I see meaningful signs from across our U.S. business that we’re on the right path,” Niccol said.

For example, Niccol said, Starbucks found that its retail partner engagement scores are up, its coffeehouse leader engagement is near historic highs, and its shift completion is at a record high.

In addition, Niccol said, customer connection scores are up, customer complaints are down, and customer value perceptions are near two-year highs.

In the digital realm, the Starbucks app is highly rated, and the company has one of the largest social media communities in the industry, Niccol said.

“These strengths and signs of progress are why I remain confident in our ability to win,” Niccol said.

In early 2026, Niccol said, Starbucks will launch “significant innovations” in its rewards program that address customer feedback and add new features to grow loyalty, “brand love” and engagement. Niccol added that the rewards program is a “huge asset” for the company, with nearly 34 million 90-day active members.

The company will also launch a new Starbucks app as well as enhancements to its mobile order and pay offering.

“In 2026, we’ll unleash a wave of innovation that fuels growth, elevates customer service and ensures everyone experiences the very best of Starbucks,” Niccols said in an “earnings at a glance” sheet released Tuesday. “We’re building back a better Starbucks experience and a better business.”