Starbucks: A moonlit celebration

Embrace the warmth of the season with the Bunny Mooncake Feast Collection, which captures the joy of Mid-Autumn through playful illustrations and heartwarming scenes of moonlit gatherings. 

The collection features two themes: Warm Harvest, with cosy orange, beige and natural tones, and Dark Elegance, combining deep navy hues with warm gold accents for a refined festive look. 

Details 

The Bunny Mooncake Feast Collection will be available from 2 September in-store, on the Starbucks Online Store at 10 am, and via LazMall and ShopeeMall from 12 pm (while stocks last).

Source: Starbucks. Mid-Autumn at Starbucks features a bunny mooncake feast.

 

The Starbucks mooncake assortment offers something for every palate. Each eight-piece set is available at S$69.90 and brings together traditional flavours along with modern tea and coffee-infused creations. 

In addition to two lotus paste mooncakes with egg yolk and two osmanthus oolong mooncakes, the sets contain an oolong yuzu mooncake; a pandan osmanthus mooncake; a black sesame mooncake with egg yolk; and a caramel coffee macadamia mooncake. All of the flavours are new except for the lotus paste flavour.

Details 

Starbucks mooncakes (single / gift box) are available at all stores and via Mobile Order & Pay, and Starbucks Delivers on the Starbucks app (while stocks last).  

Starbucks Rewards members can get 120 Bonus Stars when they purchase two Starbucks mooncake gift boxes and pay with a Starbucks card. They can also earn an additional 60 Bonus Stars for every mooncake gift box from the third box onwards.

Make your Starbucks moments even more rewarding with the new S$12.90 Voucher Pack*, available from 31 August to 6 September.

Details

The pack contains six vouchers for: 

• 2x tall drinks 

• 1x Venti Buy-One-Get-One Free deal 

• 1x 10% off merch 

• 1x free size upgrade 

• 1x S$2 off minimum S$10 spend

The voucher pack is valid for 10 days from the date of purchase. 

Starbucks Rewards lets members earn Stars with every purchase while enjoying exclusive treats, birthday perks and seasonal rewards throughout the year. Sign up for free at https://www.starbucks.com.sg/rewards/join

*Terms and conditions

- 10% off merchandise offer excludes IP collections (Molly, Mofusand). 

- Drink promotion is not valid for the kaya toast series, Molly + Starbucks strawberry cream frappuccino, Starbucks Reserve and Starbucks Weave beverages.  

Festive drinks at Starbucks

Starbucks festive drinks advertising at a train station in Singapore.

Starbucks has introduced holiday beverages at participating stores around the world. Drinks in the Asia Pacific region include: 

Teavana apple joyful medley tea

A never-before-sipped Christmas creation made with black tea blended with oolong and jasmine green tea, combined with apple juice and a dollop of cinnamon foam. Available both hot or shaken over ice.

Christmas panettone latte

Source: Starbucks. Christmas panettone latte.

Available only in China, this drink is inspired by the classic Italian fruit cake with flavours of bread and butter, topped with dried cranberries, apples and oranges.

Toffee nut crunch latte

Source: Starbucks. Toffee nut crunch latte.

This is a new topping: a whipped cream peak sprinkled in a crunchy toffee nut topping over espresso. Sip it hot or have it blended with ice as a frappucino. Also available in China, which for Starbucks is considered a separate area from the Asia Pacific region.

Vanilla nougat latte

Nougat sauce and steamed milk, espresso and vanilla. The new festive drink is finished with a mixed berry drizzle and crunchy strawberry almond nougat candy topping.

Christmas tree peppermint dark mocha

This returning favourite features a new dark mocha sauce enriched with peppermint finished with green-tea infused whipped cream and colorful candy crystals. Also available blended with ice.

Starbucks has a large holiday collection this year, ranging from gift cards and keychains to Christmas ornaments, stuffed toys and coffee mugs. The company has 130 stores in Singapore as of September 2017.

Drinks in the Europe, Middle East and North Africa region include:

Fudge hot chocolate

Source: Starbucks. Fudge hot chocolate.

Milk hot chocolate with fudge flavour topped with fudge whipped cream and finished with a gold chocolate curl topping.

Festive cold brew

Source: Starbucks. Festive cold brew.

Starbucks Cold Brew with notes of Christmas spice, finished with orange and cranberry pieces.

Explore:

Get into the festive mood with the WorkSmart Asia blog posts about

The gadget gift guide 2017

Christmas sets at Watsons Singapore

The Christmas 2017 Singapore luxury gift guide

Christmas surprises at Goodwood Park Hotel

Hotel Jen Tanglin's festive takeaways and meals

The Christmas 2017 Hong Kong luxury gift guide

Holidays at the Black Sheep Restaurants, Hong Kong

Festive meals at the Eclipse Hospitality Group restaurants

Starbucks stores in Asia introduce limited edition spring drinks

Starbucks stores in Asia are featuring limited edition beverages for spring that range from lighter refreshment to hot beverages:

Source: Starbucks. Coconut Water Espresso Shakerato.

Coconut Water Espresso Shakerato
This beverage is made with Starbucks' signature espresso shaken with ice and poured over chilled coconut water that has been lightly sweetened with coconut syrup, then topped with espresso foam and a slice of lime. Available iced.

Source: Starbucks. New Valencia Orange Cocoa Cappuccino.

New Valencia Orange Cocoa Cappuccino
The new Starbucks Valencia Orange Cocoa Cappuccino is made with Valencia orange mocha sauce topped with steamed milk, espresso shots and foam. Dried orange and cocoa powder sprinkles finish the beverage. Available hot, iced and blended.

Source: Starbucks. Tahitian Vanilla Macchiato.

Tahitian Vanilla Macchiato
Velvety steamed milk is infused with aromatic Tahitian vanilla syrup, then topped with the Starbucks signature espresso and finished with vanilla bean specks and vanilla drizzle in a classic double crosshatch pattern. Available hot, iced and blended.

Source: Starbucks. Matcha & Espresso Fusion is a blend of coffee and tea.

Matcha & Espresso Fusion
The Starbucks Matcha & Espresso Fusion returns this season. The drink is made with Starbucks fine matcha (green tea) powder layered with milk and the Starbucks signature espresso. Available hot and iced.

Source: Starbucks. Starbucks Sakura Blossom Cream Latte and Starbucks Sakura Blossom Cream Frappuccino Blended Beverage with Crispy Swirl.

Starbucks Sakura Blossom Cream Latte and Starbucks Sakura Blossom Cream Frappuccino Blended Beverage with Crispy Swirl (available in Japan only)
Cherry blossom or sakura star in the Starbucks Sakura Blossom beverages served in special pink-cherry blossom cups. Starbucks Sakura Blossom Cream Latte and Starbucks Sakura Blossom Cream Frappuccino Blended Beverage with Crispy Swirl feature a sakura sauce made with cherry petals, condensed milk and white bean paste. The beverages are finished with pink shaved chocolate inspired by cherry petals and bright pink rice crackers scattered on maple-flavoured whipped cream.

South Korea gets two unique beverages.

Choux Cream Latte
Inspired by French cream puffs (choux à la crème), this new beverage has a smooth custard flavour combined with espresso and steamed milk, topped with custard-flavoured whipped cream. Available hot and iced.

Chamomile Apple Tea
This caffeine-free tea harmonises Teavana chamomile tea, sweet apple and agave. Available hot and iced.

Starbucks and Weixin launch social gifting feature

Source Starbucks. Starbucks and Weixin launch a new social
gifting feature.

用星说 (say it with 'stars', ie Starbucks), a new social gifting feature on China mobile social communications service Weixin, has been launched. The move follows a strategic partnership announcement between Starbucks and Tencent in December 2016.

The service allows users to instantly gift a Starbucks beverage or digital gift card to others. “Our new social gifting feature aims to deepen the shared moments of connection by allowing our customers to express their love, concern and gratitude, with the gift of Starbucks, to the people most important to them,” said Belinda Wong, CEO, Starbucks China.

"By leveraging the power and reach of Weixin, we want to encourage everyday simple acts of kindness to put a smile on someone’s face at any time or place, while elevating the unique Starbucks Experience beyond our retail stores in China.”

During the initial launch period, Weixin offers a shortcut to 用星说 users within its Weixin Wallet-function, demonstrating the significance of the strategic partnership to both companies. The Starbucks China Weixin official account will provide permanent access to the social gifting feature.

Users will be able to select from a carefully curated selection of Starbucks-branded gifts and add a personalised message in the form of text, image or video. Gifts are saved in the recipient’s Weixin app and can be redeemed at any Starbucks store on mainland China.

“This is the beginning of an exciting social gifting journey for Starbucks. During the trial phase two weeks ago, our partners (employees) and many Starbucks customers became the first in China to experience this innovation and have conveyed tens of thousands of gestures of love, gratitude and care to their friends and loved ones,” said Molly Liu, VP, China Digital Ventures, Starbucks.

“We are looking forward to inspire even more of our customers to show their love and appreciation through ‘Say it with Starbucks.’ Meanwhile, we will continue to enhance the social gifting experience to celebrate important festivals and holidays in China and the special moments in our customers’ lives.”

A sister product of WeChat, Weixin targets Chinese domestic users, and together, the platform has 846 million global monthly active users as of Q316.

Interested?

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog post about Starbucks' partnership with Tencent for gifting

Unique Starbucks outlets in North Asia

Starbucks has introduced a number of one-of-a-kind stores around the world, including several in Asia:

The Starbucks store in the Sanjo Karasuma building, Kyoto, Japan, has an experiential brew bar where customers can pull up a stool and enjoy coffee craft.

The highlight of the Starbucks store at Hong Kong’s Pacific Place Mall is a kinetic sculpture that hangs from the ceiling. The piece moves through two-hours cycles, emulating the flow of coffee as it pours into a cup.

This three-storey Starbucks store in Guangzhou, China, is designed to embrace coffee, art and local history. The first floor is dedicated to coffee craft, while the second floor offers spaces to connect and relax. The third floor has a flexible space for coffee education classes and seminars.

Starbucks has more than 25,000 stores around the world. The following cafe, found in Beijing's Forbidden City, was not one of those mentioned as it was closed in 2007.

Starbucks cafe in the Forbidden City, Beijing, taken in 2005.

Interested?

View the full selection of 13 unique stores

*All images from Starbucks.

Starbucks Singapore introduces exclusive, limited edition alice + olivia design collection

Starbucks Singapore is offering an exclusive collection of one-of-a-kind Starbucks merchandise designed by Stacey Bendet, CEO and Creative Director of alice + olivia as of 31 January 2015. 

The collection features the designer’s iconic black-and-white palette and iconic ‘Stace Face’ image, bringing the playfulness and whimsy of the alice + olivia brand to Starbucks signature merchandise. This limited collection inclusive of a ‘Stace Face’ mug, Designer Reusable tote and an alice + olivia Starbucks Reward Card is available at the Starbucks ION Orchard outlet, while the alice + olivia Starbucks Reward Card will also be available separately at select Starbucks stores throughout the city.

Source: Starbucks.

Combining style and functionality the collection includes;

· Starbucks double wall ceramic ‘Stace Face’ mug* for hot beverages

· Designer reusable tote*

· Starbucks Reward Card** – The alice + olivia Starbucks Reward Card allows users to register for the My Starbucks Rewards programme, which provides members with exclusive offers and discounts

Source: Starbucks.

“Our customers count on Starbucks to create new and innovative experiences. We’re pleased to delight our customers with exclusive designs on Starbucks signature products fashioned by alice + olivia that combines style and function from a world-class designer,” said Jane Lau, Managing Director, Starbucks Singapore.

To celebrate the partnership with Stacey Bendet, alice + olivia Starbucks Reward Card cardholders can enjoy a 10% discount at alice + olivia store at ION Orchard from 1 February 2015 to 31 May 2015. Terms and conditions apply.

*Only 88 sets of the alice + olivia collection (comprising a ‘Stace Face’ Mug, Designer Reusable Tote and an alice + olivia Starbucks Reward Card) will be available for sale. Limited to one set per customer only, while stocks 

**The alice + olivia Starbucks Reward Card will retail at S$30 and will be available for purchase separately at selected Starbucks stores.