Episodes

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna, Chris Walton is joined by Béatrice de Noray, Chief Growth Officer at Bel Group, to discuss how organizations can turn ideas into impact by combining innovation, technology, and collaboration to drive meaningful growth. Béatrice shares how Bel Group has organized its business around an end-to-end growth model that connects research, innovation, marketing, and sales, and explains why AI i...

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna, Chris Walton is joined by Justin Honaman, Global Head of Worldwide Retail, Restaurants, and Consumer Goods Business Development at AWS, to discuss the realities of scaling AI and why data remains the biggest challenge standing in the way. Justin shares how the conversation around AI has rapidly evolved from generative AI to agentic commerce, how retailers and consumer goods companies ar...

In this 5 Insightful Minutes episode, Rita Kerbaj, Chief Strategy Officer at the Rohlik Group, joins Omni Talk to discuss the evolving economics of online grocery and what retailers need to do to build a profitable e-grocery business for the long term. Drawing from Rohlik Group's success operating one of Europe's leading online grocery businesses, Rita explains why the industry's early struggles with profitability stemmed from inefficient fulfillment, small basket sizes, and costly last-mile op...

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by Duvo and Mirakl. In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses: Prime Day is generating conflicting signals, and both matter. Adobe reports $8.3 billion in online spend on day one — the biggest e-commerce day of 2026 — while Numerator shows per-household Amazon spending down 16% year-over-year. A federal judge blocked USDA-approved SNAP restrictions in five states, ruling the agency exceeded its legal authority by a...

In this week's Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Quorso and Veloq, Chris Walton checked in from Vienna, Austria, one of the final stops on Walton World Tour 2, alongside recurring Fast Five favorite Jenn Hahn, Founder & CEO of J Recruiting Services, to discuss: • Ahold Delhaize naming former Amazon Worldwide Fresh executive Claire Peters as its next U.S. CEO, and whether hiring an outsider is the right move as the company navigat...

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna, Chris Walton sits down with Tobias Wasmuht, CEO and Managing Director of SPAR International, to discuss how one of the world's largest independent retail networks is using collaboration, data, and AI to drive innovation across more than 14,000 stores worldwide. Tobias shares how SPAR's unique model balances local independence with global scale, why the organization's network structure c...

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna, Chris Walton sits down with Luiza Reguse, Senior Manager of Sustainable Supply Chain Initiatives at the Consumer Goods Forum, to discuss the growing complexity of sustainability compliance and how the industry is working toward greater consistency, transparency, and accountability across global supply chains. Luiza explains how the Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI) helps compan...

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna, Chris Walton sits down with Chen Yiyi, Vice President of Mengniu Group, to discuss how one of China's leading dairy companies is navigating changing consumer expectations, health trends, and digital transformation. Chen shares how Mengniu has grown into one of China's leading dairy companies, how changing consumer preferences are reshaping the industry, and why the company is investing ...

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna, Chris Walton sits down with Scott Price, Group Chief Executive of DFI Retail Group, to discuss how AI is reshaping retail and consumer goods, and why strong business fundamentals still matter more than ever. Scott shares how AI is accelerating innovation across retail and consumer goods, why decentralized organizations are increasingly winning in today's marketplace, and why collaborati...

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna, Chris Walton sits down with Nicolas de Bellefonds, Managing Director of BCG X for EMEA and South America, to separate AI hype from business reality. Drawing on more than 15 years of experience building AI capabilities and insights from BCG's latest research, Nicolas explains where consumer goods companies and retailers are actually creating value with AI, why so many organizations remai...

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna, Chris Walton sits down with Will Zhao, Executive President of Neolix AI, to explore what it really takes to scale autonomous delivery from a technology experiment into a viable business. With more than 20,000 autonomous delivery vehicles operating across 300+ cities and over 160 million autonomous kilometers logged, Will shares the lessons Neolix has learned about fleet density, network...

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna, Chris Walton sits down with Erika Rodríguez Cuervo, General Manager of Latin America at the Consumer Goods Forum, to explore why one of the most important growth stories in global retail is unfolding far beyond Europe. Erika discusses how Latin America's rapidly evolving consumer markets are shaping conversations around sustainability, packaging, supply chains, and AI. She also shares h...

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by Duvo and Mirakl. In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses: Walmart moves deeper into connected TV advertising by acquiring Vibe.co, a self-serve CTV platform, to make streaming ad buying more accessible and measurable for SMB and mid-market brands through Walmart Connect. Bath & Body Works enters Ulta Beauty, bringing a curated selection of its most-loved products to more than 600 Ulta stores and Ulta.com start...

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by Duvo and Mirakl. In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses: Adobe projects Prime Day 2026 will drive a record $26.3 billion in U.S. online spend, with AI traffic to retail sites expected to surge 103% and mobile shopping hitting an all-time high at 54.2% of online sales. Duluth Trading Co. is handing Amazon full fulfillment control of its marketplace products under a traditional wholesale model, using the e-comm...

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by Duvo and Mirakl. In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses: Kroger posted soft Q1 comp sales of just 1%, but turned an e-commerce profit for the first time ever, and CEO Greg Foran admitted 60% of stores need to step up their game. Ahold Delhaize nominated Claire Peters, Amazon's VP of worldwide fresh, as the next CEO of Ahold Delhaize USA, marking the company's second straight outsider leadership hire this year...

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five Lightning Round segment closes out the show with World Cup predictions, James Bond casting debates, cycling culture, and Chris Walton's favorite meal from his European conference tour. Chris Walton and Ben Miller discuss where a potential U.S. World Cup victory would rank among the greatest sports achievements of their lifetimes, while also sharing some classic British optimism (and pessimism) ahead of England's tournament run. The conversation also covers who s...

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment explores DoorDash's new AI-powered search experience and why conversational commerce may be arriving faster than retailers realize. Chris Walton and Ben Miller discuss natural language search, AI shopping assistants, customer discovery, and why retailers must rethink how shoppers find products online. The conversation also examines how platforms like DoorDash, Amazon, Google, and ChatGPT are changing consumer expectations and why conversational search is...

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment explores Dollar General's plans to test a new subscription membership program and whether value-focused shoppers are ready for another retail membership offering. Chris Walton and Ben Miller debate the opportunities and risks of launching a paid program, including delivery benefits, customer loyalty, and whether Dollar General's assortment can support a compelling value proposition. The conversation also examines how subscriptions have transformed retail...

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment explores Walmart's decision to open Walmart.com to shoppers in Mexico and what it means for the future of global marketplaces. Chris Walton and Ben Miller discuss cross-border commerce, international marketplace growth, pricing transparency, and why Walmart continues to make bold investments in long-term growth opportunities. The conversation also examines operational challenges, customer experience concerns, and how Walmart's marketplace ambitions compa...

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment examines Target's new shoppable Bravo digital series and what it says about the growing convergence of entertainment, media, and commerce. Chris Walton and Ben Miller discuss whether retailers are increasingly competing with streaming platforms, creators, and social media companies for consumer attention, and why discovery continues to evolve beyond traditional advertising. The conversation also explores Target's brand strategy, merchandising challenges,...

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment explores Starbucks' ambitious plans to add up to 10,000 additional U.S. stores and whether smaller-format locations can still deliver on the company's vision of rebuilding the coffeehouse experience. Chris Walton and Ben Miller discuss Starbucks' "Back to Starbucks" strategy, the role of drive-thru, mobile ordering, and delivery, and whether smaller stores can truly function as a modern third place. The conversation also examines operational challenges, ...

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Global DIY Summit 2026 in Amsterdam, Chris Walton talks with Ryan Baker, Chief Operating Officer of Bunnings Group, about customer trust, omnichannel retail, and how one of the world's most successful home improvement retailers continues to evolve in a rapidly changing market. Ryan shares his 25-year journey with Bunnings, from starting on the shop floor to leading merchandise, marketing, supply chain, retail media, and customer strateg...

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Global DIY Summit 2026 in Amsterdam, Chris Walton talks with Raha Been, Senior Vice President of Research & Development and Commercialization, Consumer Business at 3M, about innovation, consumer behavior, and how one of the world's most recognizable brands is adapting to a rapidly changing market. Raha shares her unique journey from cancer research and molecular biology to leading innovation for 3M's Consumer Business, and explains how ...

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Global DIY Summit 2026 in Amsterdam, Chris Walton talks with Steffen Erath, Head of Innovation at Hansgrohe, about why sustainability should be more than a business objective and instead become a starting point for innovation. Steffen shares how Hansgrohe approaches innovation at the intersection of sustainability, technology, and customer experience, and explains why he advocates for "planet-centered innovation" alongside more traditio...