How The Global IT Outage Is Bringing Starbucks And Grocery Stores To A Halt

Shoppers awoke to a historic event on Friday, July 19: a global IT outage affecting companies all over the world, which caused major headaches at grocery stores, retailers, and chains like Starbucks. Airlines, hospitals, and TV networks were also victims of the breakdown, which shut down programs on the Microsoft platforms used by these companies, according to the New York Times. 

The outage has been linked to a cybersecurity firm called Crowdstrike, which is supposed to protect these companies' computers from hackers. It appears a flawed software update crashed these systems. The programs affected were big and small, including emergency networks like 911 in some areas, and issues at companies like Whole Foods, according to employees. 

Some of the biggest identified issues right now seem to be at Starbucks, with customers waking up to discover online ordering had crashed and prevented them from grabbing their favorite Starbucks drinks before work. Baristas and Starbucks employees on Reddit have been trading stories and asking questions, with many reporting long lines as customers and app delivery drivers struggle to understand what's going on. According to one post, online orders are still coming through the Starbucks Rewards app, but employees are unable to see them or print tickets, which has made for some chaotic scenes at stores. Other employees say the situation gotten so bad that their stores may need to close for the day if the issue isn't fixed soon.

Another major chain affected is the organic favorite Whole Foods, with employees writing on Reddit that crashes have been taking out some computers but not others. One commentator reported all the registers at their location are down, while another wrote that only half of the registers at their store are not working. Another big issue identified at the grocery chain has been on its Innerview app, which employees use to check schedules. Numerous commenters chimed in to say their schedules have been completely erased and are showing no upcoming shifts. It's not just major retailers either — smaller stores in places like Louisiana and New York have been unable to open, according to local news sources.

Around the world, other companies are having their own issues, showing exactly how interconnected our digital world is. Bloomberg has reported that McDonald's in Japan is experiencing major issues, with 30% of stores in the country closing because of malfunctioning cash registers. Grocery retailers as far afield as the United Kingdom and Australia have also said some stores have had to close or shift to cash-only transactions, as credit cards aren't working.

Thankfully the IT outage is not an industry-wide phenomenon, since other major food retailers like Kroger and Target have not yet noted any issues. Needless to say, it's a rough day for many retail workers, so maybe delay that shopping trip until this is all cleared up.