Episodes

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: Amazon launching a “price-conscious” grocery brand with most products under $5 (Source) PayPal tying 5% cash back to BNPL purchases (Source) Bed Bath & Beyond’s plans to launch a nationwide franchise system (Source) Shipt’s new chat to cart feature with Perplexity (Source) Shein making its first permanent move into physical retail (...

In this Retail Technology Spotlight Series episode, John Mabe, Product Manager at Dematic, joins Omni Talk to break down the real applications of AI in warehouse operations—separating the hype from what's actually working today. From optimization algorithms to computer vision systems and LLM-powered insights, John explains the three distinct categories of warehouse AI and where each one stands in terms of real-world deployment. Learn why the smallest players struggle to adopt AI, how humanoid r...

This lightning round segment from the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, covers the fun and quirky stories of the week! Topics include: • Mountain Dew's new "Dirty" cream soda targeting Gen Z and the dirty soda trend • Vegas transportation debate: Taxi or Uber? (Chris and Anne weigh in from Grocery Shop) • Chinese public toilets requiring QR code scans and ad viewing for toilet paper access • Nicole Kidman ...

This segment from the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, explores DoorDash's launch of "Going Out"... adding restaurant reservations and in-store rewards to its app. Chris declares DoorDash the one app he couldn't live without and says these features make it even stickier. Users can now book tables, earn DoorDash credits for reservations, and redeem exclusive in-store offers... all without leaving the app. Anne...

This segment from the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, covers Sprouts Farmers Market's announcement to open 20 in-store Klatch Coffee cafes across Southern California. Anne explains why this move is perfectly aligned with Sprouts' destination shopping experience... customers who visit Sprouts are in a different mindset, taking time to discover new products and consult with specialized staff. Adding locally-so...

This segment from the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, examines Amazon's decision to close all 19 Fresh grocery stores in the UK. Chris argues this confirms that grocery is incredibly hard to disrupt and that Amazon can't win on freshness, price, or experience without the necessary scale. He predicts Amazon Fresh in the US is "dead on arrival" and questions whether Amazon is making similar mistakes with Whole...

This segment from the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, analyzes early data from Costco's executive membership early access hours. Since implementing the extra hour of shopping from 9-10am, Placer AI data shows visits are shifting earlier, trips are becoming more efficient (30-45 minutes vs 45-60 minutes), and congestion during peak hours has decreased. Anne argues this transforms Costco from a once-a-week sto...

This segment from the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, explores OpenAI's game-changing announcement: ChatGPT Instant Checkout. Users can now purchase items directly from Etsy sellers and over 1 million Shopify merchants without ever leaving ChatGPT. Chris and Anne debate whether retailers should embrace or block bot traffic, discuss the implications for traditional e-commerce funnels, and explore what "GEO op...

Omni Talk’s Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga join Groceryshop’s Rocquan Lucas and Ben Miller for the official key takeaways session live from the state at Groceryshop 2025, covering the biggest themes, surprising data points, and provocative predictions from the show. In this comprehensive recap session recorded live on the final day of Groceryshop 2025, the panel share and discuss: The Changing Consumer: Health-conscious shopping reached unprecedented levels at this year’s show. Sessions on GLP...

🏆 September's Retail Tech Startup of the Month: Threedium AWS's Daniele Stroppa joins Omni Talk to reveal how Threedium is improving retail media networks and product experiences through advanced 3D visualization technology. Discover how interactive 3D product displays are boosting conversions by 12%, reducing asset creation costs, and transforming the shopping journey across e-commerce sites and retail media platforms. In this episode, we explore: ✅ How 3D visualization increases buyer confi...

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: OpenAI’s announcement of ChatGPT Instant Checkout with Etsy (Source) Early data showing Costco’s extended hours for Executive Members may be a home run (Source) Amazon’s decision to close all Fresh stores in the UK (Source) Sprouts Farmers Market opening 20 in-store coffee shops in California (Source) DoorDash launching ‘Going Out’ ...

Neil Stern, CEO of Good Food Holdings, returns to share why smart stores must solve operational problems first, how to change 50 years of consumer behavior, and why premium grocers can't compete on Wheat Thins in an agentic AI world. In this exclusive interview recorded live from the VusionGroup Podcast Studio at Groceryshop 2025, Neil shares: ✅ "As local as possible, global when necessary"— and why it is the opposite of Lidl's strategy ✅ Why most retailers don't actually know what's on their...

Mustafa Bartin, CEO of Migros Turkey, shares his journey from launching online grocery in 1997 as a 23-year-old engineer to leading an $8.5 billion grocer preparing to launch digital-only banking. In this exclusive interview recorded live from the VusionGroup Studio at Groceryshop 2025, Mustafa shares: ✅ Launching online grocery in 1997—possibly Europe's first brick-and-mortar to do so ✅ Why scan-and-go failed culturally but self-service checkout thrives (even for 60-70 year olds) ✅ Turkish ...

Lauren Steinberg, EVP and Chief Digital Officer at Loblaw, reveals how Canada's largest grocer is using multi-agent AI architecture, conversational search, and strategic retail media to dominate digital grocery with just 10 people on the AI team. In this exclusive interview recorded live from the VusionGroup Studio at Groceryshop 2025, Lauren shares: ✅ Multi-agent AI combining LLMs with merchandise agents for personalization ✅ 45% of online grocery add-to-carts happen through search ✅ 10x ex...

Liz Roche, VP of Media and Measurement at Albertsons Media Collective, reveals how the retail media giant is expanding into full-funnel activation and using rigorous measurement to prove business outcomes that matter. In this exclusive interview, recorded live from the VusionGroup Podcast Studio at Groceryshop 2025, Liz shares: ✅ Three-channel strategy with CPG spend matching: influencers, in-store screens, on-site ads ✅ Over 2,200 stores across 13 of top 15 DMAs reaching 47 million loyal sho...

Prabash Coswatte,, COO of Heritage Grocers Group, reveals the operational secrets behind running four regional grocery banners and why consolidation is the future for mid-tier retailers. In this exclusive interview recorded live from the VusionGroup Podcast Studio at Groceryshop 2025, Prabash shares: ✅ Operating Cardenas, Los Altos, Tony's, and El Rancho as distinct regional banners ✅ The "groceraunt" concept—stores as part grocery, part restaurant, full theater ✅ Making tortillas from corn ...

Justin Weinstein, EVP and Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer at Giant Eagle, reveals the 95-year-old family-owned grocer's massive $100 million "Because It Matters" investment strategy and new brand positioning. In this exclusive interview recorded live from the VusionGroup Podcast Studio at Groceryshop 2025, Justin shares: ✅ The $100M investment split across everyday value, quality/service, and modern stores ✅ How GLP-1 medications are reshaping grocery merchandising and protein assor...

Joel Rampoldt, CEO of Lidl US, makes his first appearance on Omni Talk to reveal how the European discount grocery powerhouse is approaching the American market with fresh-forward products and unbeatable value. In this exclusive interview recorded live from the VusionGroup Podcast Studio at GroceryShop 2025, Joel shares: ✅ Lidl's unique position as part of the Schwarz Group (4th largest retailer in the world) ✅ Why they lead with fresh produce, bakery, and protein—not cans and boxes ✅ Their ...

Harvey Ma, VP and GM of Retail Media at Sam's Club, reveals how the company is pioneering the retail experience network (RXN) - moving beyond traditional retail media to create measurable, memorable experiences for members. In this exclusive interview recorded live from the VusionGroup Studio at Groceryshop 2025, Harvey shares: ✅ Why Sam's Club transformed from a retail media network to a retail experience network ✅ The NASCAR race car strategy that drove member acquisition in Nashville ✅ Ho...

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, A&M’s Joanna Rangarajan and Mohit Mohal joined Chris and Anne to discuss Nike x Skims partnership implications, Jaden Smith's appointment as Christian Louboutin's first men's creative director, AI search queries in daily life, and more! Our panel analyzes which brand benefits more from the Nike-Skims collab, the generational shift in luxury creative leadership, a...

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, A&M’s Joanna Rangarajan and Mohit Mohal joined Chris and Anne to discuss Kroger's decision to bring back paper coupons alongside their digital offerings. Our experts debate whether this move represents smart customer listening or a step backward, exploring the psychology of tangible deals and how this serves different customer segments. With 40% of consumers pref...

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, A&M’s Joanna Rangarajan and Mohit Mohal joined Chris and Anne to analyze Sephora's launch of My Sephora Storefront, giving influencers customizable digital storefronts. With 70-75% of beauty purchases influenced by social media, we explore how this platform eliminates friction for creators and followers while positioning Sephora for AI-powered discovery. Our pane...

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, A&M’s Joanna Rangarajan and Mohit Mohal joined Chris and Anne to explore Google's major move to integrate Gemini AI into Chrome for all users. Our retail experts discuss how retailers should prepare for generative engine optimization (GEO), the shift from traditional SEO, and strategies for succeeding across multiple AI platforms. Learn why diversification is key...

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, A&M’s Joanna Rangarajan and Mohit Mohal joined Chris and Anne to debate Amazon's partnership with Winn Dixie for grocery delivery in Florida. Our panel explores whether regional grocers should partner with their biggest competitive threat, the strategic implications for both companies, and how this fits into Amazon's broader grocery expansion. From market reach t...