Starbucks, which has already stated adding exlcusive content to its Wi-Fi portal (the in-Store Wi-Fi access portal through T-mobile), and within 12 to 14 months will begin offering proprietary content for customers, Chairman Howard Schultz said in a speech. The content would include music or video that could be viewed on a laptop or downloaded to an MP3 audio player. Schultz said the wireless connections are “a unique asset” that can be a bigger revenue generator.
Also, the company plans to adds books for sale, in the store. It has bene selling music CDs for a while, and recently started selling promoting movies (the Akeelah and The Bee experiment).
US News: A profile of Ken Lombard, the head of Starbucks’ media initiatives. “To keep up with all the initiatives, Lombard has more than quadrupled the size of his staff, from 18 employees in 2004 to nearly 80 today. The division is currently housed under one roof in Seattle, but six to eight members of the content team will move to Los Angeles later this year to be closer to industry executives.”