Starbucks Retires NomadGo Inventory AI Across 11,000 Stores: Workers Had to Recount Every Scan

Source: International Business Times

Starbucks terminated its AI-powered inventory counting system across all North American stores this week, nine months after deploying it as a centerpiece of CEO Brian Niccol's "Back to Starbucks" turnaround — the most prominent enterprise AI rollback in retail so far in 2026. An internal newsletter reviewed by Reuters and confirmed by two employees stated plainly on Monday, May 19: "Starting today, Automated Counting will be retired. Beverage components and milk will now be counted the same way you count other inventory categories in your coffeehouse.