Could an AI barista know you’re craving an iced caramel macchiato? Starbucks says it will begin testing artificial intelligence for drive-up ordering — including recognizing customers as they approach — as the company focuses on integrating more automated tech, CEO Brian Niccol said on last week’s fourth-quarter 2026 earnings call. The idea is to make
Want a seat at your nearest Starbucks in China? Make sure you order something first. Starbucks China now asks customers to buy something before they can sit down in its cafés, a rule that covers its roughly 8,000 stores across mainland China. (Some customers, like pregnant women and people with mobility issues, will still get
Taking a seat at a Starbucks in China? Just make sure you’re also ordering something there. A new policy by Starbucks China takes effect across all its 8,000 stores on Thursday, making it mandatory for people to purchase items if they want to sit in its cafes. Starbucks China said the move was part of
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Charlotte Mandrier. It has been edited for length and clarity. On Monday, September 14, I was cleaning up my inbox and deleting emails when I saw that Starbucks was collaborating with the Peanuts brand to sell merchandise inspired by “The Great Pumpkin.” I remembered last year
Business leaders can’t predict their way through today’s turbulent environment—and should stop trying. “Instead of trying to predict the future, it’s probably better off to really enhance the muscle of adaptability,” Carol Liao, chair of BCG Greater China, said at the Fortune Leaders Forum on Sept. 8. And in an era when AI is commoditizing
After dominating America’s seasonal drink lineup for years, pumpkin spice may be losing its grip on fall. McDonald’s, one of the largest restaurant chains in the world, said last week it would not include pumpkin-spice-flavored coffee in its offering of autumn-themed drinks this fall. Instead, the company has replaced it with another fall flavor in
