Starbucks South Cone Implements Free Virtual Library in Stores to Promote Reading

● With the aim of promoting reading, Starbucks South Cone’s “Coffee & Books” initiative is carried out in more than 300 Starbucks stores in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay, during the month of October and has the support of the Book and Reading Corporation in addition to Penguin Publishing House.

● More than 20 digital books will be available exclusively within Starbucks South Cone stores to promote reading. Among the titles, authors such as Mario Benedetti and Elizabeth Subercaseaux stand out, as well as universal classics such as “The Little Prince”, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

Santiago, Chile – On the heels of Starbucks Global Coffee Week and as a way to commemorate International Coffee Day and promote reading, Starbucks South Cone – operated by licensed business partner Alsea – today announced it will enable a free virtual bookstore called “Coffee & Books” throughout the month of October 2023, which will be available in all the brand's stores in four South American markets (more than 300 stores in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay).

The initiative, which can be accessed exclusively through a QR code available in all Starbucks stores in these markets, makes outstanding digital books available to the community divided into three main categories: Coffee, with titles such as “La Borra del Café”, by the famous and renowned Mario Benedetti; Planet, including titles such as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's classic “The Little Prince”; and Persona, where the novel “Music for Clara” by Elizabeth Subercaseaux stands out. (Here is the complete list of authors and available titles.)

According to the Book and Reading Corporation, a participating entity of “Coffee & Books”, the habit of reading generates concrete and real benefits that accompany a person throughout their life on social, emotional and linguistic levels.

“Coffee & Books” seeks to directly promote Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 4 (“Quality Education”), promoted by the United Nations Global Compact worldwide, enhancing the reading rates in these four markets through the democratization of access to reading for all generations.

“It is not necessary purchase a book to enjoy reading in one of our stores. Reading is free and available to everyone all month long in our four markets. We do this because from our role as a brand is always connected to the community; we want to draw attention to this important issue of education,” said Soledad Fantuzzi, marketing manager of Starbucks South Cone.

“We are making available to the community various titles and the talent of authors that we believe can serve as motivation to inspire reading on different occasions. From reading an entertaining novel alone with a coffee to doing it as a family to a father or a mother helping their child to discover the classic “The Little Prince” for the first time to learning about the lives of great characters in history – the main objective of ‘Coffee & Books’ is to read,” Fantuzzi concluded.