Starbucks and Delta team up on loyalty: Starbucks customers can now earn Delta miles as both companies look to broaden the reach and stickiness of their rewards programs.

Starbucks’ reinvention plan leans on China for growth: The company ignores the threat of lockdowns as it pursues aggressive international expansion.

Retailers take aggressive action to stem the tide of unionizations: Starbucks, Amazon, Trader Joe’s, and more are closing stores, delaying negotiations, and pursuing dogged legal action to keep unions from making headway.

On today's episode, we discuss what happens next now that the newsletter boom has faded, Uber getting serious about grocery, how Starbucks is defying inflation, whether Spotify can revolutionize podcast ads, robots doing all of our housework, an unpopular opinion about TikTok's hype, why so many baseballs are used during a game, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our director of reports editing Rahul Chadha and analysts Suzy Davidkhanian and Blake Droesch.

Retailers enhance their rewards programs as inflation shifts consumer spend: But that’s easier said than done, as overly complex rewards can steer away customers rather than encourage their loyalty.

As customer loyalty grows more elusive, retailers beef up member rewards: Walmart, Starbucks, and Sweetgreen are just some of the companies looking to sweeten the deal to keep customers coming back.

Retailers experiment with the role of the store: Gap, Jonathan Adler, and others are testing new retail concepts and tech to determine the best way to leverage their physical presences.

By 2026, nearly 30% of US consumers’ average retail spending (excluding food and beverage sales and ticketing) will be made using proximity mobile payments, as providers look to build on the pandemic-driven adoption of the technology.

Apple, Amazon, and Starbucks are fighting hard against unionization efforts: While the companies’ aggressive stands aim to protect their bottom lines, doing so could sully their reputation.

Big Tech squares off against unions: Momentum is on the side of workers seeking higher wages and transparency. How companies address brewing labor movements could be a red flag for regulators.

Amazon workers vote to unionize as labor activism remains potent: A historic victory in New York could forever change Amazon’s relationship with its workers.

Consumer trust in eco-friendly claims is wavering: That’s driving large retailers such as Amazon, Target, and Starbucks to find new ways to demonstrate the effectiveness of their efforts.

The tight labor market is empowering retail workers: Boosting pay can help retailers retain staff and ensure they’re providing a good customer experience.

Unionization efforts pose a challenge to brands’ images: Labor efforts at Amazon, Apple, REI, and Starbucks show a side of these popular brands that could turn off consumers.

DoorDash was once again the most downloaded US food and drink app in 2021, racking up 37.0 million downloads, 5% fewer than in 2020. McDonald’s jumped to second on the list with 24.0 million downloads, 33% more than the year prior. Meanwhile, Uber Eats dropped to third place with 21.0 million downloads.

Payments Ecosystem: This year will reveal how providers must adapt to lasting pandemic-driven digitization across payments channels, ranging from in-store retail to B2B ecommerce.

Payments Ecosystem: Diminishing analog payment use—as well as the battle for share between entrenched electronic payment methods and emerging challengers—will intensify the battle for customer spending this year.

Payments Ecosystem: POS hardware, POS software, and gateway providers are working to become one-stop shops for merchants. Offering simple, robust access to front- and back-end solutions across industries lets them better serve merchants demanding integrated solutions.

Omicron outbreak leads retailers to cut hours and temporarily close stores: The situation could drive more consumers to buy online and spur merchants to add more self-service tools.

On today's episode, we discuss how travel companies are changing their offerings to attract travelers, whether a la carte pricing is the way forward, and how travel ad spend is recovering. We then talk about what people think of streaming ads, how the living room is becoming a virtual hub, and why Starbucks is doubling down on drive-thru. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer director of forecasting Oscar Orozco and associate forecasting analyst at Insider Intelligence Zach Goldner.