Starbucks, Tencent debut social gifting on WeChat

Starbucks Coffee Company and Tencent Holdings have entered an alliance to co-create a new social gifting feature on WeChat.

The new service, which will be rolled out early next year, will make it easy for Starbucks China customers to gift items to a friend or a family member.

Customers will be able to select from Starbucks-branded gifts and products and add a personalized message. Recipients of these personal gifts and messages can save their gifts and memories on their WeChat accounts and redeem their gift at Starbucks stores across China.

Users can use WeChat Pay to pay for their goods and services from their mobile devices at Starbucks retails stores. In China, more than 300 million users (as of March 2016) have linked their bank cards with WeChat or QQ, another flagship service of Tencent.

“Just as Starbucks cards are among the most gifted around the globe, we aspire to also become the most gifted brand digitally in China,” said Belinda Wong, Starbucks China’s newly appointed CEO.

The online social gifting platform is part of the company’s growing digital presence focused on connecting with customers through digital channels, including the Starbucks Mobile App, the My Starbucks Rewards program and social media.

The announcement also builds on Starbucks rapidly expanding the portfolio of digital innovations in the country, which integrates the in-store experience with the digital “Fourth Place” experience.

Earlier this year, Starbucks also launched a mobile payment system in China aimed at providing My Starbucks Rewards (MSR) members access to a fast, seamless and convenient way to pay for purchases, using their pre-loaded Starbucks Gift Card on their mobile devices.

Wong, who was appointed from president to CEO of Starbucks China in October, has been instrumental in Starbucks unprecedented growth in country – from 400 stores in 2011 to over 2,300 stores today.

The company said in a news release when her appointment was announced that she will oversee Starbucks plans to double its scale to operate 5,000 stores in China by 2021.

Aside from focusing on the company’s overall long-term growth strategy, she will be responsible for key areas, including the vast digital and e-commerce opportunities across the market.