How Starbucks Is Dodging Dismal Consumer Sentiment
From WSJ What’s News by The Wall Street Journal
April 29, 2026 · 15 min
About this episode
The episode discusses how Starbucks is attracting customers despite dismal consumer sentiment, featuring insights from CEO Brian Niccol.
A.M. Edition for April 29. President Trump instructs aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran, to compel the regime to give up its nuclear ambitions. Plus, tech stocks prepare to take center stage during earnings season as AI jitters resurface on Wall Street. And against a backdrop of consumer anxiety, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol says a focus on experience and faster service is luring customers back to its coffee shops. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Correction: Mike Johnson is the House Speaker. An earlier version of this podcast incorrectly referred to him as the House Majority Leader. (Corrected on April 29) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
People in this episode
Host: Luke Vargas
Guest: Brian Niccol
Topics covered
- Starbucks
- consumer sentiment
- earnings season
- AI
- Iran blockade
- tech stocks
- customer experience
Keywords
- Starbucks
- consumer sentiment
- Brian Niccol
- earnings season
- AI
- tech stocks
- Iran
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Starbucks, The Wall Street Journal, Iran, Wall Street
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