Episodes

🎙 OmniTalk Retail Podcast | Live from FMI 2025 🎙 Chris Walton & Anne Mezzenga sit down with Chad Petersen, SVP of Digital at Lowes Foods, live from the Simbe Podcast Studio at FMI 2025, to dive into the next evolution of grocery retail and how digital transformation is reshaping the shopping experience. ⏱ Time Stamps & Topics: 🔹 [0:00] – Live from FMI 2025 at the Simbe Robotics Booth 🔹 [1:00] – Chad Petersen’s background & expansion of his role at Lowes Foods 🔹 [3:00] – The shift from e-com...

🎙 OmniTalk Retail Podcast | Live from FMI 2025 🎙 Chris Walton & Anne Mezzenga sit down with Deborah Weinswig, Founder & CEO of Coresight Research, live from the Simbe Podcast Studio at FMI, to explore the biggest retail trends shaping 2025 and beyond. From AI-powered store experiences to the rise of live streaming commerce, this conversation is packed with insights on the future of grocery, digital transformation, and consumer behavior. ⏱ Time Stamps & Topics: 🔹 [0:00] – Live from FMI 2025 at...

Chris Walton & Anne Mezzenga chat with Julian Mintz, VP of Sales at Albertsons Media Collective, live from the Simbe Podcast Studio at FMI 2025, to discuss the rapid evolution of retail media networks, ad measurement standardization, and the future of omnichannel brand engagement. Learn how AI-driven insights, loyalty data, and in-store analytics are transforming the way brands optimize their marketing spend and connect with shoppers at the right moments. ⏱ Time Stamps & Topics: 🔹 [0:00] – Liv...

🎙 OmniTalk Retail Podcast | Live from FMI 2025 🎙 Chris Walton & Anne Mezzenga sit down with Katie Waeltz, VP of Category Management & Market Insights at Topco, to discuss the future of grocery, the shift in consumer behavior post-inflation, and the evolution of private label brands. Learn how regional grocers are leveraging AI, data, and innovative merchandising to compete with national chains. ⏱ Time Stamps & Topics: 🔹 [0:00] – Live from FMI 2025 at the Simbe Robotics Booth 🔹 [1:00] – Meet ...

🎙 OmniTalk Retail Podcast | Live from FMI Conference 2025 🎙 Chris Walton & Anne Mezzenga sit down with Bennett Morgan, EVP & CMO of SpartanNash, live from the Simbe Podcast Studio at FMI 2025, to discuss how automation, robotics, and AI-powered analytics are shaping the future of grocery merchandising. Learn how real-time shelf data, vendor collaboration, and digital inventory tracking are improving in-stock rates, pricing accuracy, and store efficiency. ⏱ Time Stamps & Topics: 🔹 [0:00] – Liv...

Chris Walton & Anne Mezzenga sit down with Thom Blischok, Chairman and CEO, Dialogic Group, to discuss how automation, AI, and connected stores are reshaping retail live from the Simbe Podcast Studio at FMI. Thom breaks down the biggest mistakes retailers make with technology adoption, the future of real-time store analytics, and why robotic-powered shelf intelligence is the biggest industry breakthrough in 20 years. ⏱ Time Stamps & Topics: 🔹 [0:00] – Live from FMI 2025 at the Simbe Robotics B...

🎙 OmniTalk Retail Podcast | Live from FMI 2025 🎙 Chris Walton & Anne Mezzenga sit down with Oliver Wright from Accenture to explore the technological trends transforming the grocery industry and beyond. Discover how AI, automation, and data-driven leadership are changing the way retailers operate and connect with customers. ⏱ Time Stamps & Topics: 🔹 [0:00] – Live from FMI 2025 at the Simbe Robotics Booth 🔹 [1:00] – Oliver Wright’s role at Accenture and the consumer industries he covers 🔹 [2...

🎙 OmniTalk Retail Podcast | Live from FMI Conference 2025 🎙 Chris Walton & Anne Mezzenga sit down with Stan Swinton, VP of Non-Perishable Grocery at Sprouts Farmers Market, live from the Simbe Podcast Booth at FMI 2025, to explore how Sprouts stays ahead in grocery innovation, selects emerging brands, and delivers high-quality products to meet the needs of its loyal customers. ⏱ Time Stamps & Topics: 🔹 [0:00] – Live from FMI 2025 at the Simbe Robotics Booth 🔹 [1:00] – Meet Stan Swinton: His ...

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Ocampo Capital and Scratch Event DJs Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: A "2-Ply" Lightning Round For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/PmDEXwquuSE 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, Ocampo Capital and Scratch Event DJs Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: If The Starbucks Ceramic Mug Rollout Is Hot Or Extra Hot For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/PmDEXwquuSE 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, Ocampo Capital and Scratch Event DJs Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Walmart Increasing Regional Manager Pay To Potentially Over $600k Per Year For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/PmDEXwquuSE 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, Ocampo Capital and Scratch Event DJs Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: If They're Buying Or Selling: Levi’s Claim That Data Helped It Capitalize On The Baggy Jeans Trend For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/PmDEXwquuSE 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, Ocampo Capital and Scratch Event DJs Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Amazon Naming Whole Foods CEO Jason Buechel Head Of Worldwide Grocery For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/PmDEXwquuSE 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, Ocampo Capital and Scratch Event DJs Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Walmart Allowing Suppliers To Test New Products With Walmart Customers For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/PmDEXwquuSE This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

In this episode of our 5 Insightful Minutes Series, the Head of Worldwide Retail, Restaurants & Consumer Goods Business Development at AWS, Justin Honaman, joins us to discuss the biggest retail trends of 2025. We explore how AI, Amazon Ads' new Retail Ad Services, and data-driven personalization are shaping the future of shopping. Plus, we dive into unified commerce, composable commerce, and how retailers can better integrate in-store and e-commerce experiences for customers and employees alik...

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five news roundup, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, and Scratch Event DJs, Chris and Anne discussed: The appointment of Whole Foods CEO Jason Buechel to head up Amazon’s grocery strategy (Source) Whether CPGs will jump at the chance to pay Walmart to test products with Walmart’s actual customers (Source) If Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol could be getting ahead of himself with his plans for ceramic mugs (Source) Th...

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Ocampo Capital and Scratch Event DJs Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga are joined by co-hosts from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer & Retail Group, Kelly Carey and John Clear. In this clip, the group discusses: A "Gentle Rollercoaster" Lightning Round For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/s3yeI48E9A0 This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podco...

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Ocampo Capital and Scratch Event DJs Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga are joined by co-hosts from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer & Retail Group, Kelly Carey and John Clear. In this clip, the group discusses: Walmart Selling Luxury Goods Via Rebag For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/s3yeI48E9A0 This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn...

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Ocampo Capital and Scratch Event DJs Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga are joined by co-hosts from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer & Retail Group, Kelly Carey and John Clear. In this clip, the group discusses: Sephora Redesigning Its Entire North American Store Fleet For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/s3yeI48E9A0 This podcast uses the following third-party services for...

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Ocampo Capital and Scratch Event DJs Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga are joined by co-hosts from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer & Retail Group, Kelly Carey and John Clear. In this clip, the group discusses: If The American Consumer Needs Smaller Format Burlington Stores? For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/s3yeI48E9A0 This podcast uses the following third-party servi...

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Ocampo Capital and Scratch Event DJs Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga are joined by co-hosts from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer & Retail Group, Kelly Carey and John Clear. In this clip, the group discusses: If They're Buying Or Selling: Target Cutting Its Production Lead Time For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/s3yeI48E9A0 This podcast uses the following third-party ...

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Ocampo Capital and Scratch Event DJs Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga are joined by co-hosts from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer & Retail Group, Kelly Carey and John Clear. In this clip, the group discusses: What Walmart's Symbotic Deal Signals About Its Approach To Delivery? For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/s3yeI48E9A0 This podcast uses the following third-party s...

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five news roundup, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, and Scratch Event DJs, A&M’s Kelly Carey and John Clear joined Chris and Anne to discuss: Walmart’s new Symbotic relationship, aka its new robot deal (Source) The veracity of Target’s claims that it has cut its production lead times down from 7 months to 8 weeks (Source) Whether the American consumer really needs smaller Burlington stores (Source) Sephora’s p...

In our latest episode of Omni Talk's Investor Perspectives on Retail and the Consumer, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga interview Simeon Siegel, Managing Director at BMO Capital Markets, to discuss the key trends and challenges facing retail and e-commerce as we approach 2025. They dive into topics such as market share, DTC strategy, and the importance of maintaining brand equity. Key Moments: 0:48 - Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga introduce Simeon Siegel, Managing Director at BMO Capital Markets...