Episodes

Chris Walton and Ben Miller put Michael Prendergast and Ken Davidson on the Fast Five lightning round hot seat, covering everything from Super Bowl predictions and favorite types of pie to the return of Cole Trickle in a Days of Thunder sequel. Plus, Ken reveals the one and only tattoo he would ever get. ▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/NXUUmuwrX2Q This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Amazon is reportedly exploring Project Tetromino, an internal initiative aimed at building fully automated delivery stations and bringing even more robotics into the last mile. The Fast Five crew discusses whether full automation is inevitable, how quickly Amazon could make it happen, and why the company appears hesitant to publicly own its automation ambitions. Because when Amazon already has more than a million robots deployed, the question may not be if automation is coming, but just how fa...

Stripe believes the traditional online checkout page is on its way out as AI agents and agentic commerce begin to reshape how consumers shop. Michael Prendergast, Ken Davidson, Ben Miller, and Chris Walton discuss what happens when the purchasing process becomes increasingly machine-led, from eliminating friction and clicks to completely rethinking promotions, pricing, and how retailers compete for transactions. The big question: Are retailers ready for a world where machines may increasingly ...

Sur La Table has entered the resale game with Second Servings, a new peer-to-peer marketplace for kitchenware, home goods, and dining products. The Fast Five crew debates whether the marketplace is a smart, low-lift opportunity or simply a distraction that won't generate enough traffic to move the needle. And after taking a closer look at the platform, Ben Miller raises another interesting question: is this really a peer-to-peer marketplace, or a new way for Sur La Table to sell discounted and ...

Target is launching Target Beauty Studio with more than 1,600 products from 90 brands, including more than two-thirds that are brand new to Target. But can this new beauty destination successfully fill the space left behind by Ulta? Chris Walton, Ben Miller, Michael Prendergast, and Ken Davidson debate whether Target's future in beauty depends on finding the next big brands, creating the right assortment, or proving that its merchandising team can still deliver. ▶️ Watch the full Fast Five epi...

Walmart is expanding its restaurant delivery ambitions beyond the Subway locations inside its stores, and the Fast Five crew thinks this could become much more than just a grocery delivery add-on. Ken Davidson sees it primarily as a logical bolt-on, while Michael Prendergast, Ben Miller, and Chris Walton argue Walmart's massive store footprint, delivery density, and potential drone capabilities could eventually make it a much bigger threat to DoorDash and Uber Eats. ▶️ Watch the full Fast Five...

What will define the next chapter of grocery and CPG innovation? In this edition of 5 Insightful Minutes, Rocquan Lucas, VP of Content at Groceryshop, joins Omni Talk to preview what attendees can expect when Groceryshop returns to Las Vegas this September. From AI-powered shopping experiences and retail media to evolving consumer behavior, unified commerce, and the technology transforming retail’s core operations, Rocquan breaks down the biggest themes shaping this year’s agenda. He also share...

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by R&S Logistics, ZenlineAI, Duvo and Mirakl. In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses: Anthropic launches a blueprint for building AI shopping agents on Claude, touting big cart-size and conversion gains from early retail partners. Sephora debuts a TikTok Shop storefront with exclusive monthly product drops starting September 19th. Sprouts Farmers Market names Nick Konat, a Petco and Target merchandising veteran...

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Quorso, Veloq, and R&S Logistics, Chris Walton was joined by Michael Prendergast and Ken Davidson of the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, along with Ben Miller, Founder & Editor-in-Chief of GrocerTalk, to discuss: • Walmart’s plans to expand restaurant delivery beyond its own Subway locations and whether its massive store footprint could make it a real competitor to DoorDash and Uber...

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by R&S Logistics, ZenlineAI, Duvo and Mirakl. In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses: The FTC and 22 states sue Amazon, alleging it secretly inflated ad auction prices for advertisers over seven-plus years. YouTube adds Amazon as an affiliate partner in YouTube Shopping, letting creators tag Amazon products in videos. Home Depot expands its Magic Apron AI assistant with localized store knowledge across all 2,00...

In this episode, sponsored by Instacart Enterprise, Portager, and Vusion, Ben Miller is joined by Stewart Samuel, Director of Retail Futures at IGD and a leading grocery retail analyst and industry expert, to unpack the global grocery news stories from this week that we believe are worth paying attention to. This week, they discuss: • Whether weak US consumer confidence is finally translating into changes in grocery shopping behavior, from strong results at Dollar Tree and Dollar General to lo...

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by R&S Logistics, ZenlineAI, Duvo and Mirakl. In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses: Urban Outfitters Inc. posts record Q2 sales as Nuuly subscriptions surge, with nearly half of Nuuly's inventory coming from its own sister brands. Anthropologie brings Nike to its shelves for the first time as its sneaker-buying customers jump 30%. Batteries Plus rolls out a trio of AI tools across its franchise and store netw...

In this Retail Technology Spotlight series, Chris Walton sits down with Antons Sapriko, Founder and CEO of Scandiweb, to explore just how far AI has already gone in running the operational layers behind retail and what happens when employees shift from doing the work to supervising the systems doing it for them. Antons breaks down the evolution from AI assistance to what Scandiweb calls "supervised automation," where AI increasingly handles everything from personalization and pricing logic to p...

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by R&S Logistics, ZenlineAI, Duvo and Mirakl. In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses: Gap Inc. beats on earnings but Old Navy posts its first negative comp quarter since 2023, and gets a new CEO in Michael Francis, effective November 2nd. Walmart expands restaurant delivery beyond in-store Subway locations, touting strong crossover with its Express Delivery membership growth. Planalytics forecasts a regionally ...

Chris Walton puts Joe Laszlo, Head of Content & Insights, U.S. at Shoptalk, in the Fast Five lightning round, covering everything from the great pineapple-on-pizza debate and their favorite retail commercials of all time to the most extravagant purchases they can justify on a time-per-dollar basis. ▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/Di1g7tZTEmI This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Ann Taylor is making a major push to reinvent its brand through Substack, storytelling, and a new fall fashion blitz. Chris Walton and Joe Laszlo, Head of Content & Insights, U.S. at Shoptalk, discuss whether the strategy can help Ann Taylor reconnect with modern consumers and what other legacy retail brands can learn from moving beyond traditional advertising to build deeper relationships with their audiences. ▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/Di1g7tZTEmI This podcas...

California Pizza Kitchen wants to put its pizzas in a lot more places, with plans to expand its automated kiosk business to 1,000 locations. Chris Walton and Joe Laszlo, Head of Content & Insights, U.S. at Shoptalk, discuss whether automated food kiosks could open up an entirely new growth channel for restaurant brands and what happens when the restaurant experience becomes less about the restaurant itself. ▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/Di1g7tZTEmI This podcast us...

J.C. Penney is taking aim at the off-price retail market, but Chris Walton and Joe Laszlo aren't convinced the strategy is necessarily the right move. Joe Laszlo, Head of Content & Insights, U.S. at Shoptalk, joins Chris to debate whether J.C. Penney can successfully compete with off-price retailers or whether the company risks losing focus on what it should actually be doing to win back customers. ▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/Di1g7tZTEmI This podcast uses the fo...

Home Depot is taking same-day delivery nationwide with a new promise to get orders to customers in as little as three hours. Chris Walton and Joe Laszlo, Head of Content & Insights, U.S. at Shoptalk, discuss what the move says about the growing expectations around delivery speed and whether faster fulfillment can become a meaningful competitive advantage in home improvement retail. ▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/Di1g7tZTEmI This podcast uses the following third-par...

Target is showing signs of improvement, but is the retailer actually turning the corner? Chris Walton is joined by Joe Laszlo, Head of Content & Insights, U.S. at Shoptalk, to debate Target's latest results, including stronger sales, grocery growth, improved store traffic, and a raised outlook. But after a difficult stretch, the bigger question remains: is this a genuine turnaround or simply a bounce off weak comparisons? ▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/Di1g7tZTEmI ...

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by R&S Logistics, Duvo and Mirakl. In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses: Kohl's Q2 sales inch closer to stable, but its Sephora shop-in-shop falls for a second straight quarter, raising questions about the durability of its turnaround. Target unveils Target Beauty Studio, a 600+ store beauty overhaul featuring 90 brands, two-thirds of them new to the retailer. Costco's custom cakes and party platters land on ...

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Quorso, Veloq, and R&S Logistics, Chris Walton was joined by Joe Laszlo, Head of Content & Insights, U.S., Shoptalk, to discuss: • Target’s latest results, including stronger sales, rising traffic, grocery growth, and a raised full-year outlook, and whether the retailer is truly turning the corner or still lacks the differentiated strategy needed to sustain its momentum. (Source) ...

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by R&S Logistics, Duvo and Mirakl. In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses: Plus-size clothing options are quietly shrinking at chains like H&M, Aritzia, Mango, and Zara, and the GLP-1 boom is the likely driver, even as retailers avoid saying so. Amazon is reportedly developing "fully automated" delivery stations under an internal initiative called Project Tetromino, though the company disputes the reported detai...

In this episode, sponsored by Instacart Enterprise, Portager, and Vusion, Ben Miller is joined by Martin Bailie, Global Retail CEO, AI & Growth Expert and Founder of MWB Advisory to unpack the news stories from global grocery this week that we believe are worth paying attention to. Martin brings decades of hands-on grocery experience across three continents, with a career spanning Tesco, Tata India, Primark and Lidl. This week, they discuss: • Target’s Q2 results, and whether stronger sales, g...