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Starbucks to Close Online Merch Store

Starting October 1, coffee lovers will no longer be able to hop onto Starbucks.com to accessorize their caffeine habit with branded mugs and glasses. Starbucks recently announced that it is discontinuing its e-commerce presence in order to focus on other digital and mobile initiatives.

“We’re continuing to invest in amplifying Starbucks as a must-visit destination and are looking across our portfolio to make disciplined, thoughtful decisions,” spokeswoman Maggie Jantzen said. “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.”

For the next month, select items on the Starbucks’ e-commerce site will be marked down by as much as 50%. In addition to mugs, the site peddles coffee, tea, syrups, brewers and brewing accessories. Once the site goes away, customers still will be able to get branded items through third-party sellers like Amazon and Starbucks’ grocery partners.

Starbucks has been making deep investments into digital innovation, with CEO Kevin Johnson stating in a recent quarterly earnings call that technology is key for retail success: “No traditional brick-and-mortar retailer is better positioned to navigate and flourish in the global retail industry of today or better positioned to lead in the digital retail world of tomorrow.”

Currently, mobile payments make up 30% of Starbucks orders in the U.S., and company executives are banking on that number to grow. Jantzen says Starbucks will be “doubling down on our digital relationships with our customers to further elevate our digital flywheel through our mobile app and our Starbucks Rewards loyalty program.”