Omni Talk Retail

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, Chris and Anne discussed:Sam’s Club’s brilliant app redesign — Anne and I break down why this move is so genius and what other retailers can and cannot learn from it. (Source)Gap’s beauty gamble — The company wants to expand into beauty and accessories across all brands, starting with Old Navy. Is this Richard Dickson’s next stroke of genius, or are they about to learn why Nintendo doesn’t sell makeup? (Source)Albertsons’ retail media evolution — Three new channels including influencer matching and premium in-store screens. We explore whether this “evolve or die” mentality is what separates winners from losers in retail media. (Source)Kroger’s “deli of the future” — A 6,500-square-foot prepared food section that’s supposed to revolutionize grocery. Anne loves the concept, but I’m asking the hard questions about scalability and architectural debt. (Source)Office Depot’s 15-minute promise — They’re guaranteeing pickup in 15 minutes or you get a $15 coupon but will this idea put too much strain on the store team? (Source)There’s all that, plus we announce this month’s OmniStar award winner Katherine Dela Cruz Paulk from Fabletics in partnership with Quorso, and dive into everything from New York Fashion Week to whether AI-generated movies are worth your theater ticket money.P.S. Be sure to check out all our other podcasts from the past week here, too: https://omnitalk.blog/category/podcast/P.P.S. Also be sure to check out our podcast rankings on FeedspotMusic by hooksounds.com#RetailNews #SamsClub #GapBeauty #RetailTech #KrogerDeli #RetailPodcast #OmniTalk #RetailMedia #OfficeDepot #RetailInnovation #Fabletics #QuorsoThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso. Chris and Anne tackle viral grocery shopping trends, discuss Nestlé's leadership chaos, share parenting hacks for school prep, and debate cool-sounding French names. From the "5-4-3-2-1" grocery method to bus ride realities, it's rapid-fire retail commentary at its finest.For the full #fastfive episode head here: https://youtu.be/838xKELS_nI #retailnews #retailtech #Grocery #BTS #Hack #Parenting #retailmedia #ecommerce #retailinnovation #omnichannel #customerexperience #retailtrends #aiinretailThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso. Waitrose pilots AI-powered smart trolleys in Bracknell, becoming the first UK supermarket to test the technology. Chris and Anne remain skeptical about customer adoption hurdles and question why retailers are first in the water on unproven smart cart solutions.For the full #fastfive episode head here: https://youtu.be/838xKELS_nI #retailnews #retailtech #waitrose #trolley #retailmedia #ecommerce #retailinnovation #omnichannel #customerexperience #retailtrends #aiinretailThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso. Lululemon appoints AI veteran Ranju Das as its first Chief AI and Technology Officer, signaling a major strategic shift. Chris and Anne debate whether putting "AI" in his title shows innovation or reveals that Lululemon is lost from a leadership perspective.For the full #fastfive episode head here: https://youtu.be/838xKELS_nI #retailnews #retailtech #lululemon #fabletics #retailmedia #ecommerce #retailinnovation #omnichannel #customerexperience #retailtrends #aiinretail #leadershipThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso. Macy's becomes the first major retailer to partner with Amazon's retail ad service, allowing advertisers to buy sponsored product ads through Amazon's platform. Chris and Anne analyze whether this short-term revenue grab compromises Macy's long-term independence.For the full #fastfive episode head here: https://youtu.be/838xKELS_nI #retailnews #retailtech #macys #amazon #retailmedia #ecommerce #retailinnovation #omnichannel #customerexperience #retailtrends #aiinretail #ads #revenueThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso. After eight years, Amazon finally absorbs Whole Foods corporate employees into Amazon teams, eliminating the grocery chain's distinct culture and benefits. Chris and Anne debate whether this signals Amazon Grocery's desperation or sets up bigger strategic moves ahead.For the full #fastfive episode head here: https://youtu.be/838xKELS_nI #retailnews #retailtech #wholefoods #amazon #retailmedia #ecommerce #retailinnovation #omnichannel #customerexperience #retailtrends #aiinretail #GroceryThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso. Walmart accelerates marketplace growth with expanded next-day delivery for third-party sellers across major US cities including LA, New York, and Chicago. Chris and Anne discuss how Walmart is "out-Amazoning Amazon" with 95% of the country deliverable in under three hours and their "you win, we win" philosophy for marketplace success.For the full #fastfive episode head here: https://youtu.be/838xKELS_nI #retailnews #retailtech #walmart #amazon #retailmedia #ecommerce #retailinnovation #omnichannel #customerexperience #retailtrends #aiinretailThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Go behind the scenes with Walmart's Chief Merchandising Officer Latriece Watkins and VP Category Lead of Walmart Marketplace Michael Mosser, as they reveal how Walmart's omnichannel assortment strategy is set to redefiine American retailing. From half a billion marketplace SKUs to same-day delivery reaching 95% of America, discover the three-pillar platform approach that's redefining how sellers grow with Walmart marketplace.Key insights include: AI-powered merchandising tools, real success stories from Dreo and Levi's, and how Walmart's platform creates multiple growth pathways for sellers. Plus, exclusive details on partnerships with StockX and Rebag targeting high-income customers, and what's next for Walmart's marketplace expansion.Recorded live at Walmart's Marketplace Seller Summit in San Diego.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

In this 5 Insightful Minutes episode, Julian Mills, CEO of Quorso, joins Omni Talk to share key insights from their recent Intelligent Management Forum, where 30 retail executives from major grocery, convenience, and apparel chains gathered to discuss the future of store operations.Julian reveals retail's "iPhone moment" – how intelligent systems are replacing overwhelming task management with personalized, data-driven work prioritization. From detasking stores to evolving field leadership roles, Julian breaks down the practical reality of implementing AI in retail operations.From eliminating redundant tasks across more communication channels than one can count to using data instead of visual checks, Julian explains how retailers are finally focusing associates on what matters most: serving customers and driving results.🔑 Topics covered:- Retail's "iPhone moment" with intelligent task prioritization- The four types of wasteful tasks retailers send to stores- Why "single pane of glass" is aspirational but 70-80% achievable- How field leaders are evolving from diagnosticians to coaches- Balancing AI automation with human oversight in operations- Using deterministic models for recalls vs. LLMs for personalized solutions🎧 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more retail tech insights!#retailoperations #storemanagement #retailai #intelligentmanagement #retailtech #omnitalk #quorso #retailinnovation #storetechnology #retailpodcastThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, Chris and Anne discussed:Walmart launching next-day delivery for third-party marketplace orders in major cities like LA, NYC, Chicago, Houston and Atlanta, as the retailer aims to have 95% of the country deliverable in under 3 hours (Source)Amazon’s plan to extend new employment offers to Whole Foods’ U.S. corporate employees starting November 10th, absorbing their merchandising and marketing teams after 8 years since the acquisition (Source)Macy’s Media Network partnering with Amazon Retail Ad Service, becoming the first major retailer to let advertisers buy sponsored product ads through Amazon’s platform (Source)Lululemon naming AI veteran Ranju Das as its first Chief AI and Technology Officer, bringing decades of experience from Amazon, OptumLabs, and Swan AI Studios (Source)Waitrose unveiling AI-powered smart trolleys in a UK pilot, featuring clip-on devices from Israeli firm Shopic that track products and enable cart-side checkout (Source)And Julian Mills from Quorso stopped by for 5 insightful minutes on lessons learned from Quorso’s recently held Intelligent Store Management ForumThere’s all that, plus lightning round discussions on grocery shopping hacks, the best French names, back-to-school parenting tips, and whether Vogue’s new editor can keep an assistant longer than Murphy Brown.P.S. Be sure to check out all our other podcasts from the past week here, too: https://omnitalk.blog/category/podcast/P.P.S. Also be sure to check out our podcast rankings on FeedspotMusic by hooksounds.com#RetailNews #WalmartMarketplace #AmazonWholeFoods #MacysRetailMedia #LululemonAI #SmartCarts #RetailTech #OmniTalk #RetailPodcast #RetailInnovationThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Ben Miller shares his Oasis reunion experience, thoughts on Arsenal's 15-year-old sensation Max Dowman, and reveals the ultimate Vegas conference hack for Shoptalk and Groceryshop attendees. Sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso.For the full #fastfive episode head here: https://youtu.be/M4FL5AO9AAM #Oasis #MaxDowman #Soccer #Football #Shoptalk #Groceryshop #ArsenalThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Fabletics achieves 95-97% fill rates and 20% sales boosts with comprehensive RFID rollout. Sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, Shoptalk’s Ben Miller joined Chris and Anne to explore why RFID is becoming the GPS moment for apparel retail and why every retailer should be paying attention.For the full #fastfive episode head here: https://youtu.be/M4FL5AO9AAM #Fabletics #RFID #RetailTech #GPS #retailinnovationThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Walmart Canada deploys Klarna's buy-now-pay-later service across 400+ stores. Sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, Shoptalk’s Ben Miller joined Chris and Anne to debate whether BNPL will become ubiquitous in stores within three years or if credit cards will capture this market instead.For the full #fastfive episode head here: https://youtu.be/M4FL5AO9AAM #Walmart #Klarna #BNPL #Canada #CreditcardsThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Best Buy officially launches its third-party marketplace with 500 vetted sellers. Sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, Shoptalk’s Ben Miller joined Chris and Anne to discuss what Best Buy needs to do right to succeed and how this could create new opportunities for Geek Squad upselling.For the full #fastfive episode head here: https://youtu.be/M4FL5AO9AAM #BestBuy #GeekSquad #ThirdParty #marketplaceThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Hertz Car Sales launches on Amazon Autos, bringing thousands of pre-owned vehicles to the marketplace. Sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, Shoptalk’s Ben Miller joined Chris and Anne to discuss how this partnership could finally disrupt the car buying experience and what it means for the future of automotive retail.For the full #fastfive episode head here: https://youtu.be/M4FL5AO9AAM #retailstrategy #Amazon #Hertz #preownedvehiclesThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Target names Michael Fiddelke as next CEO in a move that's sparking industry debate. Sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, Shoptalk’s Ben Miller joined Chris and Anne to break down why this internal succession might be the wrong move for the struggling retailer. Chris argues this could be "The Fiddelke Faux Pas" while Anne offers a contrarian view on why an internal candidate might be Target's only hope.For the full #fastfive episode head here: https://youtu.be/M4FL5AO9AAM #Target #CEO #MichaelFiddelke #Debate #Retail #StrategyThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

AWS’s Daniele Stroppa, Worldwide Technical Lead for AWS partners in retail, joins us to announce August’s retail tech startup of the month: Vody.Daniele breaks down how Vody makes data ready for AI and AI agents through their intelligent data infrastructure solutions. Unlike typical approaches that tackle product discoverability with chatbots or search improvements, Vody addresses the challenge at its foundation – the data itself. Their sophisticated system transforms messy product catalogs into AI-optimized data using state-of-the-art multimodal large language models specifically fine-tuned for retail.🔑 Topics covered:Why Vody stands out with their data-first approach to AI readinessHow they structure data from diverse sources (PDFs, spreadsheets, etc.) and inject real-world contextThe impressive 10% conversion rate improvements their customers are seeingWhy tackling data quality at the foundation benefits search, recommendations, marketing, and merchandisingHow Vody works with existing customer data without expensive migrationsFrom understanding trends to identifying perfect Father’s Day gifts, Vody’s AI-optimized data helps retailers stay one step ahead of their customers while driving real business results across multiple areas of their operations.🎧 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more retail tech insights and to be the first, each month, to find out who wins retail tech startup of the month!Music by hooksounds.com#retailtech #AI #ecommerce #dataoptimization #omnitalk #retailinnovation #vody #retailpodcast #aws #productdiscoverabilitySponsored ContentThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, Shoptalk’s Ben Miller joined Chris and Anne to discuss:Target’s CEO Succession – Michael Fiddelke named as next CEO, sparking debate about internal vs. external leadership choices (Source)Hertz Car Sales on Amazon Autos – Fleet dealer partnership expands used car marketplace with thousands of pre-owned vehicles in major markets (Source)Best Buy’s Third-Party Marketplace Launch – 500 vetted sellers bring tech accessories and seasonal items to expand product selection (Source)Walmart Canada BNPL with Klarna – Buy now, pay later comes to 400+ Canadian stores for purchases over $50 CAD (Source)Fabletics RFID Rollout – Gray Orange’s G Store solution achieves 95-97% fill rates and 20% sales boost across 100+ locations (Source)And AWS’s Daniele Stroppa also dropped by to help us hand hand August’s award for Retail Startup of the Month to Vody for its AI-optimized e-commerce data solutions.There’s all that, plus Ben Miller’s Oasis concert review, Arsenal’s 15-year-old phenom Max Dohman, and whether coffee should always be “small and purposeful.”P.S. Be sure to check out all our other podcasts from the past week here, too: https://omnitalk.blog/category/podcast/P.P.S. Also be sure to check out our podcast rankings on FeedspotP.P.P.S. Get your discounted admission now with Omni Talk!Retailers and brands save 20% with codes:For Shoptalk Fall, use code RBOMNIT20 (Link: https://stfall25-registration.personatech.com/code?cId=cmJvbW5pdDIw)For Groceryshop, use code RBOMNIT510 (Link: https://gs25-registration.personatech.com/code?cId=cmJvbW5pdDUxMA==)Or save 20% off General Admission with codes:For Shoptalk Fall, use code GAOMNIT20 (Link: https://stfall25-registration.personatech.com/code?cId=Z2FvbW5pdDIw)For Groceryshop,...

In this exclusive final interview from the Walmart Seller Summit in San Diego, Karthicka Krishnasamy, VP of Omni Growth Experiences and Services at Walmart, reveals why omnichannel is Walmart's true "superpower" and how AI will transform in-store shopping.From hardware engineer to retail innovator, Karthicka breaks down how omni shoppers spend more, shop more categories, and show higher satisfaction scores than single-channel customers. Discover the tire-to-grocery-to-vaccine shopping journey that's blurring physical-digital lines, plus the Gen AI grocery list feature that will navigate customers aisle-by-aisle through personalized store experiences.🔑 Topics covered:- Why omnichannel is Walmart's competitive "superpower" at scale- How omni shoppers outperform single-channel customers across all metrics- The seamless tire service to grocery shopping customer journey- Gen AI grocery lists with personalized aisle-by-aisle navigation- AI spectrum from classification to multi-agent capabilities- How Walmart meets customers "where they are" across all touchpoints🎧 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more insights from Walmart's innovation leaders!#walmartomni #omnichannelretail #karthikakrishnamurthy #genai #airetail #omnigrowth #omnitalk #retailinnovation #personalization #retailtech #sellersummit #retailpodcastThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

In this exclusive Omni Talk episode live from the Walmart Seller Summit in San Diego, Joshua Gunn, VP of Retail Sales and Marketing at Dreo, reveals the seller success story that earned him a stage shout-out in front of 2,000 attendees.From marketplace launch to Walmart stores in just one year, Joshua breaks down how Dreo leveraged WFS, Walmart Connect, and human relationships to scale their fan, heater, and kitchen appliance business. Discover why he calls the Walmart marketplace experience "nothing short of fantastic" and his advice for sellers: "Don't dip your toes—jump in."🔑 Topics covered:- How Dreo went from marketplace to Walmart stores in one year- Why WFS and Walmart Connect became game-changers for operations- The power of human relationships with merchant and category teams- Using marketplace as a testing ground before retail launch- Why digital-first brands should "jump in" rather than test the waters- The immense opportunity for startups on Walmart Marketplace🎧 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more seller success stories from industry leaders!#dreosuccess #walmartmarketplace #sellersuccess #wfs #walmartconnect #retailsuccess #omnitalk #appliances #sellerstory #marketplace #retailpodcast #sellersummitThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy