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.

In 2024, a perfect storm of technology, business, and consumer behavior trends will conspire to intensify the challenges of protecting brands on digital media.

Coca-Cola is increasing its investment in digital media channels to appeal to Gen Z, while Gap is focused on creating more story-forward, culturally relevant marketing campaigns. To cut costs, Procter and Gamble is using AI to improve order fulfillment and reduce ad waste, and Starbucks eyes growth in delivery. Here are five insights into how companies are adjusting strategies this year.

Starbucks eliminates global CMO role: Reflecting broader trends, this move showcases a shift toward more localized and specialized marketing strategies.

Retailers can learn a lot from quick-service restaurants in delivering a satisfying customer experience. Chipotle leverages first-party data for more personalized and predictive offers, while Sweetgreen experiments with new formats and technologies to provide a more omnichannel experience. Plus, Starbucks has proven that brand loyalty can go a long way even when making changes.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss whether people will ever buy items they see in TV shows, if online ratings are broken, a relaunched Amazon Shipping trying to compete with UPS and FedEx, if CNN and sports can move the needle for streaming service Max, whether the continuing partnership between Target and Starbucks is boosting curbside pickup, where we got gas before gas stations, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and analysts Blake Droesch and Paul Verna.