Retail Fast Five

This Lightning Round segment of the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, closes out the show with rapid-fire takes on Fashion Week trends, 2016 nostalgia, Robert Duvall’s Mount Rushmore, and unexpected Olympic curling drama. From the cultural ripple effects of Fashion Week to the one thing our hosts would bring back from 2016, plus strong opinions on Robert Duvall and the intensity of Olympic curling, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga, joined by Jenn Hahn, keep things moving with quick hits and sharp debate. ⏩ Tune in for the full episode here.#RetailLightningRound #RetailCulture #FashionWeek #WinterOlympics #RobertDuvall #RetailNews #OmniTalk #ConsumerTrends

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, looks at independent convenience stores deploying AI-powered voice insights across 5,200 locations. Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga, joined by Jenn Hahn, break down how real-time AI analytics are transforming store operations, workforce monitoring, and frontline decision-making. ⏩ Tune in for the full episode here.#ConvenienceStore #RetailAI #VoiceAnalytics #StoreOperations #RetailInnovation #OmniTalk

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, examines American Eagle building its largest creator community yet through a rewards-based micro-influencer program. Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga, alongside Jenn Hahn, discuss how this move reflects shifting influencer economics and why smaller creators may deliver outsized engagement. ⏩ Tune in for the full episode here.#AmericanEagle #MicroInfluencer #CreatorEconomy #RetailMarketing #InfluencerStrategy #OmniTalk

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, dives into Target and Albertsons testing conversational advertising inside ChatGPT. Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga, joined by Jenn Hahn, debate whether AI-driven conversations could become a scalable retail media platform or remain an experimental marketing play. ⏩ Tune in for the full episode here. #Target #Albertsons #ChatGPTAds #ConversationalCommerce #RetailMedia #OmniTalk

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, explores Co-op launching a gender pay gap toolkit ahead of new UK regulations.Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga, alongside Jenn Hahn, discuss whether proactive compliance can become a competitive advantage and how transparency may reshape retail leadership strategy.⏩ Tune in for the full episode here.#GenderPayGap #RetailLeadership #Coop #RetailHR #WorkforceStrategy #OmniTalk

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, examines Converse employees being instructed to work from home ahead of anticipated layoffs as Nike continues its broader restructuring efforts. Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga, joined by Jenn Hahn of J Recruiting Services, unpack what this signals about Nike’s long-term brand strategy, workforce management, and competitive positioning. ⏩ Tune in for the full episode here. #Nike #Converse #RetailLayoffs #RetailWorkforce #RetailStrategy #OmniTalk

In this week's Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, guest host and resident talent expert Jenn Hahn, joined Chris and Anne to discuss:Converse employees being instructed to work from home ahead of layoffs and restructuring at the struggling Nike brand (Source)Co-op launching a gender pay gap toolkit ahead of new UK regulations (Source)Target and Albertsons testing conversational advertising inside ChatGPT (Source)American Eagle building its largest creator community yet with a rewards-based micro-influencer program (Source)Independent convenience stores deploying AI voice insights across 5,200 locations (Source)And Stripe's Chief Revenue Officer of AI, Maia Josebachvili, stopped by to give us 5 Insightful Minutes on how retailers can set themselves up for success in the new world of agentic commerce.PLUS — in partnership with Quorso, and together with Jenn, we handed out this month's OmniStar Award to Kristin Popp, Executive Vice President of Woodman's Food Market and President of Women's Grocers of America, fresh off being named Woman of the Year at the NGA Show.There's all that, plus curling drama at the Winter Olympics, Robert Duvall's Mount Rushmore, and what one thing from 2016 our hosts would bring back.Music by hooksounds.com#RetailNews #Converse #Nike #ChatGPTAds #RetailPodcast #OmniTalk #AmericanEagle #MicroInfluencer #ConvenienceStore #AIRetail #AgenticCommerce #Stripe #GenderPayGap

This Lightning Round segment of the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, closes out the show with rapid-fire takes on luxury travel, Valentine’s Day spending, and one very unexpected McNugget caviar moment.From the continued boom in luxury hotels to billions in Valentine’s retail projections and the internet’s obsession with fast food meets fine dining, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga, joined by Shoptalk’s Joe Laszlo, keep things moving with quick hits and strong opinions.⏩ Tune in for the full episode here. #RetailLightningRound #RetailCulture #LuxuryTravel #ValentinesDay #McNuggetCaviar #ConsumerTrends #RetailNews #OmniTalk

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, explores Spotify’s partnership with Bookshop.org to sell physical books.Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga, alongside Shoptalk’s Joe Laszlo, unpack why this move feels like a natural extension of Spotify’s ecosystem and what it means for omnichannel reading behavior.⏩ Tune in for the full episode here. #Spotify #BookshopOrg #RetailStrategy #Omnichannel #RetailPodcast #OmniTalk

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, breaks down Albertsons’ expansion of cart tracking technology to measure retail media effectiveness.Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga, alongside Shoptalk’s Joe Laszlo, discuss whether dwell time truly correlates with incremental sales and what this signals for the evolution of in-store retail media.⏩ Tune in for the full episode here. #Albertsons #RetailMedia #InStoreTech #GroceryRetail #OmniTalk

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, explores Anthropic’s Super Bowl campaign pledging that Claude AI will remain ad-free.Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga, alongside Shoptalk’s Joe Laszlo, debate whether ad-free AI is sustainable, what it means for monetization models, and how AI platforms may shape retail and commerce.⏩ Tune in for the full episode here.#Anthropic #ClaudeAI #OpenAI #AIAdvertising #RetailTech #OmniTalk

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, examines Target’s decision to cut 500 roles while increasing investment in frontline store staffing.Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga, alongside Shoptalk’s Joe Laszlo, break down the labor math behind the move and debate whether this represents meaningful operational change or a strategic reset.⏩ Tune in for the full episode here. #Target #RetailLabor #StoreOperations #RetailStrategy #OmniTalk

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, explores Kroger’s appointment of former Walmart executive Greg Foran as CEO.Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga, alongside Shoptalk’s Joe Laszlo, unpack what this leadership change signals for Kroger’s competitive positioning, ecommerce ambitions, and long-term strategy against Walmart.⏩ Tune in for the full episode here. #Kroger #GregForan #GroceryIndustry #RetailLeadership #RetailStrategy #OmniTalk

In this week's Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, Shoptalk's Joe Laszlo joined Chris and Anne to discuss:Kroger's appointment of former Walmart executive Greg Foran as new CEO (Source)Target cutting 500 jobs while investing in frontline store staffing (Source)Anthropic's Super Bowl ad campaign pledging Claude AI will remain ad-free (Source)Albertsons expanding cart tracking technology to measure retail media effectiveness (Source)Spotify partnering with Bookshop.org to sell physical books (Source)And Shop Talk's Joe Laszlo joined Chris and Anne to preview Shop Talk Spring 2026 - the 10th anniversary of the event - themed "Retail in the Age of AI"There's all that, plus solarium cappuccinos, the hyoid bone, first edition Dune books, and whether McNugget caviar is worth hitting reload for.Music by hooksounds.com#RetailNews #KrogerCEO #TargetStores #AnthropicAI #RetailMedia #SpotifyBooks #RetailPodcast #OmniTalk #Shoptalk #RetailTech

This Lightning Round segment of the OmniTalk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, closes out the show with rapid-fire takes on culture, fashion, and the lighter side of retail. From Ralph Lauren’s Olympic uniforms and Cracker Barrel’s employee dining rules to winter travel escapes and Kelly Clarkson nostalgia, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga, joined by A&M’s Ken Cochran and Jon Malankar, keep things moving with quick hits and strong opinions. ⏩ Tune in for the full episode here. #RetailLightningRound #RetailCulture #FashionRetail #PopCulture #RetailNews #OlympicsFashion #CrackerBarrel #OmniTalk

This OmniTalk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, looks at BJ’s Wholesale Club’s experiment with smaller-format stores. Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga, joined by A&M’s Ken Cochran and Jon Malankar, discuss whether clubs can win quick-trip shopping missions, who should be most concerned, and how this move could reshape regional grocery competition. ⏩ Tune in for the full episode here. #BJsWholesale #ClubStores #RetailFormats #GroceryRetail #ConvenienceRetail #RetailStrategy #RegionalGrocers #RetailTrends #OmniTalk

This OmniTalk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, examines eBay’s decision to ban AI-powered shopping bots. Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga, alongside A&M’s Ken Cochran and Jon Malankar, debate the risks and rewards of agentic commerce, why collectibles marketplaces may need tighter controls, and whether other retailers will follow eBay’s lead. ⏩ Tune in for the full episode here. #eBay #RetailAI #AgenticCommerce #EcommerceAutomation #MarketplaceTrust #RetailPolicy #AIinRetail #RetailInnovation #OmniTalk

This OmniTalk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, breaks down Walmart’s launch of cross-border marketplace shipping. Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga, joined by A&M’s Ken Cochran and Jon Malankar, explain why this move strengthens Walmart’s marketplace flywheel, expands retail media opportunities, and positions Walmart as a true competitor to Amazon’s FBA ecosystem. ⏩ Tune in for the full episode here.#Walmart #Marketplace #CrossBorderEcommerce #RetailMedia #EcommerceStrategy #AmazonFBA #GlobalRetail #RetailNews #OmniTalk

This OmniTalk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, explores why grocery ecommerce has quietly reached 19% penetration. Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga, alongside A&M’s Ken Cochran and Jon Malankar, unpack what this milestone means for regional grocers, curbside economics, and whether grocery leaders are underestimating how fast digital adoption is accelerating. ⏩ Tune in for the full episode here.#GroceryEcommerce #OnlineGrocery #CurbsidePickup #RetailTrends #DigitalRetail #GroceryIndustry #RetailStrategy #OmniChannel #OmniTalk

This OmniTalk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, breaks down Amazon’s decision to shut down its palm payment technology and close select Amazon Fresh stores. Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga, joined by A&M’s Ken Cochran and Jon Malankar, debate why biometric payments failed to gain traction, whether consumers were ever ready for palm-based checkout, and what Amazon’s renewed focus on Whole Foods signals about the future of grocery retail. ⏩ Tune in for the full episode here.#Amazon #RetailTech #BiometricPayments #AmazonFresh #WholeFoods #CheckoutTechnology #RetailInnovation #RetailStrategy #GroceryRetail #OmniTalk