The rise of artificial intelligence has many worried that robots may be taking their jobs. But Starbucks is using digital advancements to foster a stronger relationship between its customers and its employees.
“Our Mobile Order and Pay platforms through digital have been fantastically successful,” Ron Crawford, the company’s vice president of global benefits told Cheddar. “It’s driving more and more customers into our stores, which is great. It’s allowing our partners to have yet even more and more interaction with our customers.”
Starbucks has long been known for the emphasis placed on its “partners”, the term the company uses for baristas and other non-corporate employees. The company announced last week a second wave of raises, on top of pay increases that had already been scheduled for this year. It also unveiled stock grants for both full-time and part-time employees, extended sick-pay benefits, and plans to add more than 8,000 new jobs.
And while some credited President Trump’s new tax policy with sparking the changes, Crawford says most of the plans were already in the works.
“Some of those things would’ve happened in the next couple of months anyway, we were just able to do it a little bit sooner,” he said. “We were still on a path to execute our longer term strategy, and we would’ve made partner investments during the normal course of our business.”
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/starbucks-brews-up-employee-benefits).
Amid peak summer travel, thousands of air travelers faced flight cancellations and delays this weekend as thunderstorms rolled in across the U.S. East Coast and Midwest.
Be Well: What the Federal Reserve's Rate Hike Pause Means for Economy
Be Well: Products to Keep You Fresh During Sweltering Summer Heat
Amazon could be the largest retailer in 2024, according to a report while FTX is suing former disgraced CEO Sam Bankman-Fried to retrieve funds. And the Directors Guild of America members voted in favor of a new contract.
Stocks are drifting Monday in their first trading since a big rally for Wall Street hit its first roadblock in six weeks.
The final week of trading in June kicked off as stocks were mixed following the rebellion in Russia.
The Week's Top Stories is a guided tour through the biggest market stories of the week, from winning stocks to brutal dips to the facts and forecasts generating buzz on Wall Street.
Another drop for stocks on Friday has Wall Street on track to close out its first losing week in the last six.
Workers at 150 Starbucks locations will strike in the coming week over what their union says is a clash over decor supporting LBGTQ+ causes, but the company denies it's banned any such displays and accused the union of using misinformation as a tactic in labor talks.
About 7.5 million singing and swimming “Baby Shark” bath toys are being recalled after multiple lacerations and puncture wounds were reported in children playing with them.
