Starbucks Bets on Robots To Brew a Turnaround in Customers
3 106Starbucks has been pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into AI and automation -- testing robots that take drive-through orders, virtual assistants that help baristas recall recipes and manage schedules, and scanning tools that count inventory -- as the 55-year-old coffee chain tries to reverse several years of struggling sales.
The company last week reported its first same-store sales increase in two years in the U.S., where it earns roughly 70% of its revenue. Shares still slid 5% on concerns that heavy spending, including $500 million to boost staffing, had hurt profits. CEO Brian Niccol, who joined in 2024 after engineering Chipotle's turnaround, told the BBC he is confident consistent growth will address that; the company has pledged to find $2 billion in cost savings over three years.
3 comments
Re:Drug Dealers. (Score: 5, Interesting)
by uohcicds ( 472888 ) on Monday February 02, 2026 @10:10AM (#65964108)
4. If only their coffee didn't taste like sieved, week-old diarrhoea
Re:Drug Dealers. (Score: 5, Insightful)
by 93 Escort Wagon ( 326346 ) on Monday February 02, 2026 @12:32PM (#65964404)
4. If only their coffee didn't taste like sieved, week-old diarrhoea
One hesitates to ask how you're apparently familiar with the taste of that...
Re:Drug Dealers. (Score: 5, Interesting)
by whitroth ( 9367 ) on <whitroth@noSPAM.5-cent.us> on Monday February 02, 2026 @10:36AM (#65964152)
"Shot of liberalism"? You *are* talking about the company that's been fighting against its baristas unionising for years, right?