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Elon vs. Apple: App Store fees are back in the spotlight

Elon vs. Apple: App Store fees are back in the spotlight

Elon Musk is in another fight — this time with Apple.

Earlier this week, Musk tweeted that Apple had “threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store”, unleashing a tirade of tweets criticizing the company for inconsistent “censorship” and building on previous complaints about Apple’s App Store fees, which he has called “a 30% tax on the internet”.

Screenshots seen by Platformer show that weekly advertising bookings in Twitter’s EMEA region are down 49% — hastening the need for Twitter to shift their revenue towards subscriptions. The problem for Musk is that subscriptions will incur Apple’s App Store fee.

Appy families

Musk’s comments put Apple’s “in-app purchase” policy, in which it takes a 15-30% cut of digital purchases from App Store apps, back in the spotlight. As the Apple ecosystem has grown, the App Store has been a remarkable marketplace for app developers to reach the 1.2bn+iPhone users — and its earned Apple a fortune in the process.

Figures from Analysis Group, endorsed by Apple, show that some ~$86bn is estimated to have been made by developers in 2021, with Apple’s cut of that likely towards the top end of the $13-26bn range. The iPhone maker claims to use this to cover costs in reviewing apps, in order to protect consumers, but the lack of alternatives for developers has led to calls of anticompetitive practices.

Epic, maker of Fortnite, has already done battle with Apple on these grounds. Though the judge ruled largely in favor of Apple, finding that they did protect customers, Apple was required to allow developers to link customers to their own payment systems.

Musk’s plan if this feud escalates — “make an alternative phone”.

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Starbucks issues apology after viral “Bearista” cup meltdown

Holiday cheer turned into chaos this week for Starbucks after the coffee giant’s new “Bearista” holiday cup sent fans into a frenzy. 

Dropped alongside its 2025 holiday menu, the $30 beanie-wearing glass bear tumbler sparked long lines, sellouts, and even in-store scuffles before Starbucks stepped in with an apology.

“The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations,” the company said in a statement to People. “Despite shipping more Bearista cups to our coffeehouses than almost any other item this holiday season, the Bearista cup and some other items sold out fast.”

Within hours of launch, frustrated fans flooded Starbucks’ social media pages and even store hotlines. Some customers waited in line before dawn and others said their stores received only a handful of cups. In one Houston location, the craze even turned physical, with police reportedly called to break up a brawl. Meanwhile, the cup is already reselling on sites like eBay, with listings topping $600.

“We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused,” Starbucks said. While in-store customers may be upset, investors seem happy about the viral hit, as the stock has risen over 3% on Friday.

If you’re still hoping for a Bearista at market price, that may not be on order: the chain didn’t disclose how many cups were made or whether a restock is planned.

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Target tells workers to smile, wave, and greet shoppers if they come within 10 feet of them

Target just rolled out a new rule for store employees: smile, make eye contact, and greet or wave when a shopper comes within 10 feet — and if they get closer, within four feet, ask whether they need help or how their day is going, according to a new Bloomberg report.

Dubbed the 10-4 program internally, the rule mirrors rival Walmarts own 10-foot policy, formalizing behavior Target had previously only encouraged.

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Monster surges on energy drink buzz, while Celsius sinks on distribution concerns

Shares of Monster Beverage climbed 5% after the bell on Thursday, and held most of those gains into early trading on Friday, following strong Q3 results.

The energy drink giant topped market expectations, with quarterly sales up 17% year over year to $2.2 billion and adjusted net profits growing 41% to $524.5 million — 11% ahead of Wall Street’s estimates. In the report, Monster highlighted its zero-sugar line and new product launches, with a stack of novel flavors already released this year, as bright spots.

During a call with analysts, Chief Executive Hilton Schlosberg said that the global energy drink category “remains healthy with robust growth,” The Wall Street Journal reported, adding that demand for more affordable caffeinated drinks is rising as coffee has become “really expensive.”

Meanwhile, rival beverage business Celsius saw shares fall as much as 23% on its Q3 results yesterday — despite beating expectations, with revenue jumping 173% — largely due to concerns about a change in the company’s distribution channel, as its newly acquired Alani Nu brand joins the PepsiCo distribution network.

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