Starbucks closed its online store — and customers are freaking out by Kate Taylor on Oct 2, 2017, 9:19 AM Advertisement
 Starbucks' online store has shuttered for good. The coffee giant confirmed plans to close its online store to Business Insider in August. Since then, Starbucks has been holding a clearance sale online, selling items at up to 50% off. Starbucks' online store sold items such as glasses, mugs, coffee brewers, and espresso makers, in addition to coffee, tea, and beverage syrups. While people will still be able to buy items formerly sold online at third-party sellers like Amazon and Starbucks' grocery partners, some customers are freaking out about the loss of the online store. "Starbucks, I received the saddest email from you that you are discontinuing your online store," one person wrote on Starbucks' Facebook page. "Please say this is super temporary! Please say you will be back!" Starbucks spokesperson Maggie Jantzen told Business Insider in August that the chain was shuttering its online store to "invest in amplifying Starbucks as a must-visit destination." "Continued integration of these digital and mobile customer connections into our store experience is among the highest priorities for us, and to enhance that focus we've looked for ways to simplify our current efforts," Jantzen said in an email. As Starbucks shutters its online store, the coffee giant is looking to build "commercial partnerships" with digital companies. "These partnerships, we believe, will enable us to leverage our brand, our global retail footprint, and the customer base in order to extend our reach," CEO Kevin Johnson said in a call with investors in late July. Starbucks has made serious investments in digital over the last few years, as executives have witnessed retailers struggle to cope with the rise of ecommerce. Currently, mobile payments make up 30% of Starbucks orders in the US. "Retailers who are agile and reimagine the art of the possible will be big industry winners," Johnson told investors on the industry's "seismic shift" towards digital and mobile. "Those who do not will struggle mightily." SEE ALSO: Starbucks is closing its online store as a 'seismic shift' hits the retail industry
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