On Oct. 21, reporters learned from Starbucks China that starting Oct. 22, Starbucks will implement purchase-required seating nationwide, with related notice signs placed in stores. In actual operations, Starbucks will provide partners with unified service guidelines and necessary support. Partners will follow friendly and amicable communication principles and properly handle customers' reasonable urgent needs and special circumstances.
Starbucks stated that for customers in need of assistance, such as pregnant women and people with limited mobility, partners will prioritise offering help. The rules are clear, but enforcement will retain warmth. Humanistic care has always been our duty, and we will continue to invest resources to improve the in-store experience and jointly create and maintain the beautiful experience of the third place with customers.
Previously, purchase-required seating at Starbucks trended on Weibo. Some netizens posted on social media that Starbucks would implement a rule requiring a purchase to be seated, stating the new rule would take effect on Oct. 20.
Images posted by netizens showed that among Starbucks materials, there were multiple notice signs printed with Starbucks operating space, please make a purchase to be seated, with the materials still unopened.
Starbucks has previously sparked controversy over seat management and purchase-required seating.
In July this year, a Starbucks store in Tianjin placed its own purchase-required seating table signs, sparking discussion again. In September, a Starbucks store in Nanchong, Sichuan, temporarily locked its outdoor tables and chairs with chains because they had been occupied for long periods. After the incident gained attention, the store unlocked the seats and switched to verbal reminders. A small number of netizens opposed the move, arguing that the openness and inclusiveness of the third place is the soul of the Starbucks brand, but most netizens believed there was nothing wrong with Starbucks requiring a purchase to be seated in its own stores.
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