Starbucks Coffee Co.

The Annual State of the Industry Report is the centerpiece of this issue of Chain Store Age, and it’s a great read. It’s also very timely.

Seattle -- Mobile payments took another step forward with the announcement that Starbucks Coffee Co. has entered into a partnership with Square, a mobile-payment start-up. Starbucks will invest $25 million in Square -- part of the latest round of financing -- and Starbucks chairman, president and CEO Howard Schultz will join Square’s board of directors. Square was founded in 2009 by Jack Dorsey, creator of Twitter.

Oakland, Calif. -- Lucid, a provider of real-time feedback technology for buildings, is spearheading a study of resource consumption and behavior change with Starbucks Coffee Co. The pilot project, developed in conjunction with the Snohomish County Public Utility District and Portland Energy Conservation Inc., will be hosted by 10 Starbucks stores in Snohomish County, Ore., and will serve to test and document measurable energy savings in the stores.

Chicago -- Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.-based Mid-America Asset Management said that Bedding Experts has opened a 4,019-sq.-ft. store at Deerfield Village Centre on Chicago’s North Shore.

The privately held mattress retailer took space vacated by Blockbuster Video, and opened on June 30.

Deerfield Village Centre features 44,083 sq. ft. of retail space that includes Chipotle, Leather Creations, Sprint, and Starbucks among others.
 

Target has come up with some clever buzz-building brand activities over the years and a new initiative underway in Seattle is no exception.

Seattle -- Starbucks Coffee Co. announced the continued global expansion of the Starbucks mobile platform with the roll-out of Starbucks app for Android to the United Kingdom and Canada.

In addition, U.S. customers who download or update to the official Starbucks app for Android will be able to experience new enhancements including a widget, PayPal support, PIN code protection, and viewing the My Starbucks Rewards history dashboard.

Sam's Club was among the highest-rated companies for customer service, according to new research from the Temkin Group. Other retailers included Publix, Hy-Vee, H.E.B., ShopRite, Aldi, Giant Eagle and JCPenney.

Other companies earning top marks included Chick-fil-A, credit unions and Starbucks. Meanwhile, companies with the lowest ratings included Charter Communications, Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Citibank, Qwest, Cigna, and Bank of America.

WABAN, Mass. — Publix, Hy-Vee, H.E.B., Sam's Club, ShopRite, Aldi, Giant Eagle and JCPenney were among the highest-rated companies for customer service, according to new research from the Temkin Group.

Other companies earning top marks included Chick-fil-A, credit unions and Starbucks. Meanwhile, companies with the lowest ratings included Charter Communications, Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Citibank, Qwest, Cigna, and Bank of America.