🕔 Retail Daily Minute | Starbucks Sells 60% of China Business, Amazon Sues Perplexity Over AI Shopping Agent & Penny Production Halt Scrambles Retailers

Hello Omni Talk Fans! If you are not up-to-speed on the penny chaos, then I would definitely give today’s pod a listen.

In today’s Retail Daily Minute:

Starbucks sells 60% stake in its China operations to Boyu Capital for $4 billion, retaining 40% ownership while partnering to operate nearly 8,000 stores.
Amazon sues Perplexity AI to stop the startup’s Comet browser agent from making purchases on its platform, setting up a precedent-setting legal battle over the reach of agentic AI in e-commerce.
U.S. retailers scramble as penny production halts under Trump’s directive, forcing stores to round cash transactions amid lack of federal guidance and conflicting state laws on exact change.

Plus, a movie quote inspired by the fact that many convenience stores are now having to round their customers’ purchases down.

👇 Listen now

Today’s Top Headlines

1. Starbucks–Boyu Capital Deal Gives 60% Stake in China Venture

Starbucks is forming a $4 billion joint venture with private equity firm Boyu Capital to operate its nearly 8,000 stores in China. Boyu will hold up to 60% and manage operations, while Starbucks retains 40%, its brand, and IP rights. Starbucks values its rapidly growing China business at over $13 billion. (Read More)

2. Amazon Sues Perplexity AI Over Controversial Shopping Agents

Amazon has sued Perplexity AI, alleging its “agentic” shopping feature secretly accessed Amazon customer accounts and disguised automated activity as human browsing. The lawsuit claims Perplexity’s Comet AI agent posed security risks and ignored requests to stop, while Perplexity accuses Amazon of using its dominance to stifle innovation. (Read More)

3. U.S. Retailers Struggle After Sudden Penny Production Halt

After the U.S. ended penny production under President Trump, retailers are struggling with cash rounding and potential profit losses. Major chains like Walmart, Sheetz, and Kwik Trip are warning customers or rounding transactions, while industry groups criticize the lack of federal guidance as penny shortages spread nationwide. (Read More)

4. Kroger and Instacart Expand AI-Enhanced Grocery Partnership

Kroger and Instacart expanded their partnership to enhance digital grocery shopping with greater efficiency, faster delivery, and new AI-powered “agentic shopping” experiences. Instacart remains Kroger’s primary fulfillment partner for nearly 2,700 stores, introducing the Cart Assistant to personalize meal planning, streamline orders, and improve convenience for millions of customers. (Read More)

5. Pinterest Rolls Out AI-Powered Shopping Assistant in Beta

Pinterest has launched Pinterest Assistant in beta, a visually focused AI tool that helps users shop and discover items through natural language prompts, drawing from personal and similar users’ content to offer tailored, personalized recommendations, acting as a “personal collaborator” for discovery and online shopping. (Read More)

Upcoming Live LinkedIn Events