The news: China’s coffee giants are making their way to the US in the hopes of unlocking a lucrative market to offset pressures back home. Our take: Luckin’s and Cotti’s US launches are a problem for Starbucks, which is already struggling to compete with the companies in China and having a hard time winning over customers at home. Unfortunately for Starbucks, many of the moves it’s making—streamlining its menu, enhancing the in-store experience, leaning into premiumization—run counter to consumers’ current desire for variety, convenience, and value. That has created an opening for chains like Dutch Bros (and now Luckin and Cotti), which are better positioned to capitalize on emerging trends in the coffee space and can undercut Starbucks on price.

Starbucks’ dominance is under threat as Dutch Bros’ growth surges: The coffee giant is struggling to stem a sales slump as the latter’s colorful drinks and service win it more customers.

Apple faces lawsuit over false advertising for delayed iPhone 16 features: The case echoes concerns over the impact that deceptive advertising can have on brands.

Starbucks to lay off 1,100 workers in a bid for efficiency: The coffee company is also reducing its menu by 30% to improve order speed and consistency.

Starbucks’ turnaround takes shape: While US comp sales fell for the fourth-straight quarter, CEO Brian Niccol is confident that investments in the store and worker experience will bear fruit.

Amazon, Starbucks workers threaten strikes as the labor movement loses steam: But mixed signals from Trump could raise unions' hopes as they fight for concessions.

Cybersecurity is a major issue for retailers this holiday season: A surge of transactions combined with over-extended, undertrained employees creates opportunities for fraudsters.

The phrase “retail apocalypse” once dominated industry conversation, Ethan Chernofsky, senior vice president of marketing at Placer.ai said during the EMARKETER Summit on November 1. “We were convinced [that] the store was dying,” Chernofsky said. “It was a thing of the past, and we were going to move to this fully online environment.”

New Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol has his work cut out for him: One can look to his former employer, Chipotle, to see how he can sharpen the coffee chain’s focus.

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol emphasizes need for fundamental strategic overhaul amid sales slide: The company’s US comparable transactions fell 10% YoY in Q4 as promotions and new products failed to win over customers.

Restaurants, food brands adapt to Gen Z tastes with “swicy,” diverse product offerings: Companies ranging from PepsiCo to Starbucks are looking to capitalize on younger consumers’ desire for dining out and grocery treats.

Starbucks’ staffing shortages pose challenge for new CEO Brian Niccol: Just one-third of workers believe stores are sufficiently staffed, hurting employee satisfaction and the customer experience.

Consumers still think fast food is too expensive, despite the value meal wars: While deals are boosting foot traffic in the short term, operators face long-term difficulties as customers either trade up to fast-casual chains or pull back entirely.

Starbucks was once considered the go-to “third place” where people could relax, work, and socialize over a cup of coffee. However, the rise of mobile ordering has compromised the company’s core identity, our analysts said. In North America, Starbucks saw a 6% drop in foot traffic, and a 2% decline in same-store sales YoY, according to its July earnings call.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss what Chipotle has that Starbucks is trying to gain, how Starbucks can turn the ship around, and what its struggles tell us about the greater retail world. Listen to the conversation with our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analyst Sky Canaves and vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian.

In today’s episode, host Bill Fisher is joined by Paul Briggs, Man-Chung Cheung, and Carina Perkins to discuss the longevity of subscription services and loyalty programs from both a client and corporate perspective. How many subscriptions can people afford, and how much can companies afford to give away as part of their loyalty programs?

The nation’s largest fast- food chains race to the bottom: Taco Bell and Sonic joined Starbucks, McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s in rolling out low-cost value meals to attract cost-conscious consumers.

In part two of this two-part podcast episode, we discuss some more predictions for 2024 that are too specific to be 100% certain about but could still come true, including: what happens next when measuring retail media, Starbuck's drone delivery pilot, and how the publisher/AI relationship will play out. Tune in to the discussion with our vice presidents of content Suzy Davidkhanian and Paul Verna and analyst Max Willens.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss why the restaurant industry is facing another year of uncertainty and how restaurants are boosting loyalty. Then, for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank the top restaurant loyalty programs. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analyst Blake Droesch and senior director of media content Becky Schilling.

Restaurants are investing in AI and unified commerce to enhance personalization and the customer experience.