Episodes

This week’s lightning round, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand, is packed with laughs and unexpected questions. Chris and Anne start by debating what the official Omni Talk uniform would be, inspired by Starbucks’ new black-on-green dress code (0:01). Then they reminisce about epic faceplants, including Anne’s “Great Fall of Lisbon” (1:17), and react to Jewel suing Kroger over her removal from the Wellness Festival (2:09). Chr...

In this Omni Talk Retail Fast Five discussion, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand, Chris and Anne explore Hy-Vee’s decision to shutter most in-store bars and eliminate full-service dining in favor of counter-only service (0:02). Chris critiques the overuse of “experiential retail” as a vague, unscalable buzzword (1:00), calling Hy-Vee’s move a necessary correction in an era where operational simplicity and consistency matter mor...

In this Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand, Chris and Anne dig into DoorDash’s latest AI feature rollout for restaurant partners (0:02). The tools include an AI-powered camera for high-quality food photos, an item description generator, and instant visual enhancements to improve online menus (0:08). Anne shares how these tools will help small, independent restaurants like La Bodega Taco Shop ...

In this Omni Talk Retail Fast Five episode, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand, Chris and Anne dive into Sam’s Club’s bold plan to open 15 clubs annually and remodel all 600 existing locations in the U.S. (0:02). Backed by strong performance and growing online sales, Sam’s Club hopes to double its membership over the next 8–10 years, according to CEO Chris Nicholas (0:21). Chris lays out three reasons he’s bullish: impressive c...

In this episode of Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand, Chris and Anne dive into Walmart’s latest AI-powered innovation: the Trend-to-Product tool (0:03). The duo explains how the tool uses generative AI to produce trend-driven mood boards, shorten design timelines by up to 18 weeks (1:10), and assist Walmart in appealing to newer, more affluent shoppers through trendier fashion options (2:44). Anne s...

In this episode of the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, brought to you by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand,Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga break down Ulta's surprising decision to pause its shop-in-shop rollout with Target. Despite Target touting strong beauty performance, Ulta CEO Kecia Steelman—an operations leader and former Target exec—has decided to hold at 610 locations, raising questions about store traffic, brand alignment, and future in...

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five news roundup, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand, Chris and Anne discussed: Ulta Beauty’s decision to pause its Target shop-in-shop expansion (Source) Walmart’s new Trend-to-Product AI tool to speed up product development (Source) Sam’s Club’s expansion plans (Source) DoorDash’s AI enhancements to help its quick-service restaurant partners (Source) And closed with a look at what Hy-...

In this episode of Omni Talk’s Ask an Expert series, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga talk with Stipe Galic, VP of Business Development & Marketing at TGW, to demystify the complexities of returns in today’s omnichannel retail world. From cost savings to faster reshelving, Stipe walks us through how automation, flexible software, and a unified DC setup are transforming how retailers like Urban Outfitters manage inventory and returns. Key Moments: 1:05 – Stipe’s journey from mechanical engineer t...

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios, ClearDemand, and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: A Lightning Round of Burritos, "Best Of" White Lotus Awards, and Tariff Product Hoarding For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/xZ2R3c0ZxsU This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios, ClearDemand, and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: The Pros & Cons of Amazon AI Shopping Agents For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/xZ2R3c0ZxsU This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios, ClearDemand, and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: San Diego Banning Digital-Only Coupons For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/xZ2R3c0ZxsU This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios, ClearDemand, and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Instacart Debuting A New “Will Call” Delivery Service For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/xZ2R3c0ZxsU This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios, ClearDemand, and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: If Old Navy’s 1,200 Store Radar RFID Rollout Is Too Aggressive? For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/xZ2R3c0ZxsU This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios, ClearDemand, and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss Whether they're buying or selling Best Buy Creator Storefronts For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/xZ2R3c0ZxsU This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

David Dorf, Head of Retail Industry Solutions at AWS, joins Omni Talk to break down how Agentic AI—the next evolution beyond generative AI—is poised to reshape the retail industry. From recommendations and virtual analysts to autonomous shopping assistants, David shares real-world retail examples already in use today. Plus, he explains why the next frontier may be agent-optimized websites and what that means for advertising, loyalty, and even SEO. 💡 Key Moments: 0:21 – What is Agentic AI? How ...

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five news roundup, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand, Chris and Anne discussed: Best Buy storefronts and where influencer commerce will go next (Source) Instacart’s introduction of “Will Call” Delivery (Source) Old Navy rolling out Radar’s RFID solution to 1,200 stores (Source) San Diego banning digital-only grocery store coupons (Source) And closed with a look at just how game-changing...

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five recorded live from Shoptalk 2025 in Vegas and sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: A Love Is Blind Lightning Round For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/NPi_RSCdcTE This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five recorded live from Shoptalk 2025 in Vegas and sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Whether They're Buying Or Selling: Target’s “Brown Box Delivery” Pilot For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/NPi_RSCdcTE This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five recorded live from Shoptalk 2025 in Vegas and sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Edible Arrangements Making a Shift To Sell . . . Edibles For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/NPi_RSCdcTE This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five recorded live from Shoptalk 2025 in Vegas and sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Klarna & Doordash Bringing BNPL To Meal Delivery For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/NPi_RSCdcTE This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five recorded live from Shoptalk 2025 in Vegas and sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Amazon Haul Being Priced At 50% Off During Big Spring Sale For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/NPi_RSCdcTE This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five recorded live from Shoptalk 2025 in Vegas and sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Best Buy Connecting Retail Media With Meta For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/NPi_RSCdcTE This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

The Shoptalk 2025 Key Takeaways Podcast is here! Recorded live on stage, this fast-paced episode features Omni Talk's Anne Mezzenga and Chris Walton with Shoptalk's content team — Marielle Bobo, Ben Miller, HG O’Connell, and the live conference audience — as they spin the wheel to hit the hottest themes of the show. 🎯 Key Moments & Topics: (00:54) Introduction of the “Shoptalk Dream Team” (03:00) Tariffs: Shein’s surprising openness to regulation (05:01) Data: AI, personalization, and retail ...

In this Shoptalk 2025 special, recorded live from the Shoptalk TV studio, Omni Talk sits down with Cedric Clark, EVP of Stores at Walmart, to unpack the company’s people-led, tech-powered evolution. Cedric dives into Walmart’s commitment to associate experience, innovation in store technology, and why staying connected to the frontline is key to long-term retail success. 🎯 Key Moments: (00:54) Cedric on Shoptalk and innovation trends (1:45) His Walmart journey: From fishing licenses to EVP (...