Target is introducing an option for customers to order Starbucks food and beverages for curbside delivery through its Drive Up service….

Starbucks executives reported that a higher number of customers are ordering food along with their drinks, with two in every five…

Starbucks reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings but disappointed with weaker-than-expected same-store sales. While the company’s revenue grew by 12%, same-store sales in…

Starbucks successfully fends off a trade-secret lawsuit brought by Balmuccino LLC, a company claiming that the coffee chain stole its trade…

Saturdays in July and August, most Walmart stores across the nation are providing sensory-friendly hours between 8 and 10 a.m.

New Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan is putting his own spin on Starbucks’ business improvement plan, naming several pain points he hopes to address to reinvigorate the coffee chain.

Mr. Narasimhan already spent the six-month ramp-up to his new job earning his barista certificate and visiting store locations, farms and manufacturing centers.

Retailers everywhere are dialing back free shipping policies and other efforts to maintain profit margins.

Target’s customers will be able to return most new, unopened items within 90 days of purchase. Customers buying Target-owned brands will be able to make returns for up to a year.

Target’s fourth quarter was not as strong as Brian Cornell and company would have liked, but the retailer did post its twenty-third straight quarterly same-store sales gains. He pointed to Target’s continuing investments in private brands, store-within-a-store partnerships and customer loyalty as differentiating factors for the chain.

In an open letter last week, McDonald’s USA president Joe Erlinger blasted proposed California legislation related to conditions for fast food workers as stemming “almost entirely at the behest of organized labor’s firm grip on many of the state’s lawmakers.”  Have public perceptions changed to the point where retailers need to be more open to working with unions?

Retail C-suites have seen a lot of turnover the last few years, and at least one recent case shows that the CEO role is harder to fill than it once was. Do you see a broader problem of getting qualified people to take on retail CEO roles or is this limited to specific companies?

Shoppers planning to visit Macy’s Union Square flagship store in San Francisco for last-minute gifts on Christmas weekend were met with a picket line, as the store’s union went on strike for the two days before the holiday. Do you see the recent labor activism taking another step forward or retreating in 2023?

The new Toys “R” Us has been making more innovative, on-trend moves than it did before its most recent relaunch and that now extends to getting involved in Web 3.0. The toy retailer is launching a 10,000 item collection of non-fungible tokens. Is launching a line of NFTs a good idea for Toys “R” Us?

Tipping at Starbucks is as voluntary as it is anywhere in the U.S., but a new digital payment solution is now making it tough and awkward to avoid doing so. Some customers, and even some baristas, are displeased with the development. Will Starbucks’ new point-of-sale solution be good or bad for the chain in the long run?

Baristas at over 100 Starbucks stores across the country have called a one-day strike for today, one of the chain’s busiest days of the year (AKA Red Cup Day), in response to the coffee giant’s reprisals against union organizers and for its refusal to bargain on a labor deal for its members. What do you expect to come out of the one-day strike being called by members of Starbucks Workers United?

Artists Sunday, a new artist-focused retail holiday, looks like it is picking up steam in an already crowded calendar of holiday shopping days and its organizers hope to make it the most profitable day of the year for local artists. Should regional and national chain retailers consider partnering with local artists for Artists Sunday?

Visitors to Starbucks locations inside some retailers will soon be able to order ahead via mobile, not to mention earn rewards points, just as they do when they visit standalone Starbucks locations. Do you see adding mobile pay and rewards to licensee stores as a necessary step in improving the Starbucks experience for customers?

Starbucks is revamping its loyalty program and working an NFT platform into the mix, although it is not using that acronym to describe its digital art offerings. Do you see Starbucks’ implementation of NFTs as being worth the company’s investment given the controversy surrounding the technology?

Lands’ End earlier this week said it had concluded its search for a new CEO with the hiring of American Eagle Outfitters president, international, Andrew McLean, who won’t take over as CEO until the end of the company’s fiscal year, January 27, 2023. What do you see as the pros and cons of CEO succession plans that ease new leaders into their roles?

Starbucks announced plans to hire retail and restaurant industry outsider Laxman Narasimhan as its next CEO, replacing three-time CEO, Howard Schultz, as the chain embarks on a “Reinvention.” What do you think of the outside hire of Laxman Narasimhan as Starbucks’s CEO?

Starbucks, citing safety concerns, said it will permanently close 16 locations nationwide before the end of July while instituting new procedures to ensure the wellbeing of employees. Do you see Starbucks’ move as likely a measured and necessary move, a political statement, an anti-unionization ploy or something else?

Starbucks may end its open bathroom policy as the challenges its stores face dealing with the mental health crisis now outweigh the risks of racial bias. Should Starbucks shift from an open-access bathroom policy to one limiting or prohibiting access for non-customers?

Apple said last week that it will increase starting wages for its U.S. retail to $22 per hour, up from $20 and representing a 45 percent hike from 2018 levels. Is Apple’s move to raise retail starting pay likely more about the hot job market or fighting unionization?

James Cromwell, the Oscar-nominated actor, has a problem with Starbucks over its policy of upcharging for non-dairy milk options, and demonstrated it by gluing his hand to a counter as part of a PETA protest. Do objections by celebrities increase the likelihood that Starbucks will end the upcharge for non-dairy beverages in its coffee drinks?

Starbucks is looking to create a “digital third place” with the help of emerging Web 3 technologies that will support the sale of NFTs and drive loyalty. What do you think of Starbucks’ vision of extending the “third place” concept online through NFTs and metaverse content?

Howard Schultz is looking to play the FOMO card with baristas who are thinking about voting to join the Starbucks United union.  Is Starbucks taking the proper approach in its attempt to fend off unionizing activity in the chain’s stores?

In early April, workers at an Amazon.com warehouse on Staten Island voted to form the e-commerce giant’s first U.S. union, building on successful organizing efforts at Starbucks and leading to speculation that a new American union movement is underway. Will retailers likely be seeing unionization drives with greater frequency in the years ahead?

He’s back. Howard Schultz has started his third turn at leading Starbucks and it didn’t take him long to get the attention of the coffee giant’s stakeholders. Do you agree with Howard Schultz that investing more of Starbucks’ profits into people and stores is “the only way to create long-term value” for the chain?

Contact-free retail became a priority at the beginning of the pandemic. Some efforts to cut down contact with customers, however, is raising questions about the threat of compromising the customer experience.  Do you think Starbucks and other QSRs should provide pickup-only locations that offer customers contact-free service?

If Starbucks makes good on its most recent environmentally-minded endeavor, by 2025 you may not see nearly as many of the chain’s paper cups in the hands of coffee drinkers. To what extent do you think Starbucks will be able to reduce reliance on the disposable paper cup?

Starbucks is looking for a new CEO following Kevin Johnson’s decision to retire after 13 years at the company. Mr. Johnson, who has led Starbucks since 2017, said that he informed the company’s board over a year ago that he was considering retirement. What type of leader does Starbucks need at this point in its history?

McDonald’s and Starbucks have announced a suspension of operations in Russia following that country’s unprovoked attack on neighboring Ukraine that has resulted in thousands killed and the largest refugee crisis to hit Europe since the second world war. Will retailers and brands that continue operating in Russia lose sales in Western nations as a result?

Amazon.com is opening larger versions of its Amazon Go convenience store concept in the suburbs.The retail and technology giant is planning a store for Mill Creek, WA, which is located about 20 miles outside of Seattle where Amazon debuted its first Go store in 2018. Will Amazon Go convenience stores be successful in suburban locations?

Companies with 100 or more employees have choices to make in the wake of last week’s ruling by the Supreme Court. Some are choosing to stick with their plans to require vaccinations or testing while others are not. Should retailers require employees to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo regular testing?

Workers at a Starbucks store in Buffalo, NY, voted to join the Workers United union, making it the first company-owned location in the U.S. to do so.  How significant is the decision by workers at Starbucks in Buffalo to be represented by a union?

Starbucks and Amazon have teamed up to open the first of at least three concept stores between the two Seattle-based retailing giants. Will the new Starbucks Pickup with Amazon Go concept be a winner for both companies leading to a wide rollout across the U.S.?

While waves of the pandemic continue to impact the U.S., the relaxation of restrictions and the perception of overall improvement has led to an increase in store openings, which one firm sees as a sign that physical retail is entering a “new age.”  Do you see a new era of physical retailing on the horizon? What will it look like?

The general assumption is that the economy’s three-pronged challenge will wind up hurting smaller retailers and vendors significantly more than larger ones. Do you agree that larger retailers and suppliers are significantly better positioned to deal with the current supply chain, labor and inflation challenges?

Starbucks has a pretty solid reputation as an employer, but some of its baristas are saying management is actually contributing to making things harder for workers.  Do the complaints by current and former baristas about Starbucks’ mobile ordering system have merit and does the company appear to be responding appropriately?

More U.S. retailers are accepting cryptocurrencies for payment, and one brand has even taken to hyping one of the more fringe of the financial products — prompting many to ask if cryptocurrencies will fill a valuable role or create a volatile mess.  Should retailers accept cryptocurrencies as payment?

Many retailers are hungry for social media notoriety and the traffic it brings but, for Starbucks and its employees, becoming the object of a TikTok trend is turning into a giant headache. Should Starbucks and other retailers place limits on social trend-driven purchases like “appucinos” or should they encourage them?

Starbucks has partnered with Arizona State University to open an innovation center dedicated to testing environmental sustainability initiatives.  Does establishing separate innovation centers focusing on sustainable solutions make sense for retailers?

Starbucks is using technology to make trips to get coffee more customer friendly for those who are blind or have otherwise compromised vision. Should solutions like the one Starbucks is using to help blind and low-vision customers shop become standard practice in retail stores and foodservice establishments?

Vegetarians and vegans in the Seattle area who wanted to experience a version of Starbucks where all the food was suited to their dietary preferences had a chance to do so at some point last year, but they probably didn’t know it.  Do you see a location with all plant-based food offerings from Starbucks having wide appeal?

Dunkin’ recently launched a campaign in which it asked fans to come up with “menu hacks” and post them on TikTok, according to Yahoo Finance. Will Dunkin’ find success with its menu hack campaign on TikTok?

Starbucks plans to open a whopping 22,000 locations to bring its massive store count to 55,000 by 2030. Will its newer formats and features amplify expansion opportunities for Starbucks in the years ahead?

Home Depot and Starbucks announced plans to increase regular wages for associates. What do you think is motivating Home Depot, Starbucks, Target and Best Buy to increase their wages for store associates?

Though Wells Fargo set ambitious goals to expand Black leadership and tie executive pay to diversity goals, claims that a minority talent shortage was impeding diversity progress led to a backlash. What glass ceiling challenges must Black employees deal with that may be different from those facing women or other minorities?

A characteristic of companies achieving the most value from investments in artificial intelligence are executives able to articulate the role of AI in their business. How would you prioritize developing an artificial intelligence strategy amid competing priorities in the current retailing environment?