Jan. 25, 2025

Fast Five Shorts | A "Gentle Rollercoaster" Lightning Round

Fast Five Shorts | A "Gentle Rollercoaster" Lightning Round

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



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00:00 - Untitled

00:21 - Walmart's New Headquarters and Employee Return

01:12 - Navigating Roundabouts: A Guide

02:29 - Starting a Business in Florida

03:41 - The Diaper Debate: Pricing and Perceptions

05:16 - The Pit and Age

Speaker A

Walmart not only is dominating all of our retail headlines today, but they're also requiring employees to return to the office in Bentonville this month.


Speaker A

And to welcome them back, they just opened a brand new designed campus which features a fitness center, a store layout center, an amphitheater, a daycare for up to 500 children, among many other things.


Speaker A

I want to know, Kelly, what would you want included if A and M was designing a new headquarters for you?


Speaker B

Great question.


Speaker B

I would certainly take all those things that, that Walmart's setting up.


Speaker B

Are their employees the two that you didn't mention, which out.


Speaker B

Adam.


Speaker B

Sucker for a luxury fancy coffee.


Speaker B

So if there's free lattes, you know, you'll keep me in the building for, you know, an extra hour on both ends of the day and then going to go doggy daycare.


Speaker B

For those of us who are not in the the child population, doggy daycare would go a long way.


Speaker A

They might even have those things, I think just that they ran out of space in the article.


Speaker A

Who knows?


Speaker A

Who knows?


Speaker C

Yeah, they probably do, knowing them.


Speaker C

Yeah.


Speaker C

All right.


Speaker C

All right, John, this next one I picked out just for you, a Waymo Taxi recently got stuck in a never ending roundabout near the Phoenix airport, a la European vacation.


Speaker C

As our resident European on this show, and for those interested, my first roundabout experience was in Ireland.


Speaker C

What recommendations do you have for us Yankees here in terms of navigating a roundabout effectively?


Speaker D

First of all, before I ask the question, did you watch the video of the guy in the Waymo Taxi?


Speaker D

It's like, it's crazy.


Speaker D

And he's like on the call with the customer service being like, how do I stop this car?


Speaker D

It's like running a circle, so you should look it up.


Speaker D

He also works in AI, which is kind of funny.


Speaker D

So, so just as.


Speaker C

Oh, that's hilarious.


Speaker C

Really?


Speaker C

Oh my God.


Speaker D

Yeah.


Speaker D

Yeah.


Speaker D

So he was like, I'm never taking one of these again.


Speaker D

So my recommendation for, for roundabouts, which I mentioned to you guys already, is a little bit of a passion of mine.


Speaker D

I treat it like a four way stop sign, right?


Speaker D

So when you come to the roundabout, you stop, you see where other people are coming from.


Speaker D

And then if there's nobody coming, you go.


Speaker D

If you're turning right, you indicate right.


Speaker D

If you're going to the other side of the roundabout, you're indicating left.


Speaker D

It's a four way stop sign with a circle in the middle.


Speaker D

That's all you need to think about.


Speaker D

Don't over complicate it.


Speaker A

Love it.


Speaker C

Yet Americans can't figure it out.


Speaker A

Yeah, I know.


Speaker A

We're still.


Speaker A

We're still working on it.


Speaker A

John, you get question number three as well.


Speaker A

According to a Wallet Hub study, Florida was just named the best state in the United States to start a business in in 2025.


Speaker A

If you were to start a business in Florida this year, what kind of business would it be?


Speaker D

Yeah, I was kind of torn on this one, to be honest.


Speaker D

I had two different ideas, so I'm going to put them both out there.


Speaker A

Okay, we'll take one.


Speaker D

Is like an alligator based, like boutique.


Speaker D

So they sell like alligator skin handbags and all that kind of stuff.


Speaker D

Right.


Speaker D

Which is kind of like local.


Speaker D

But the other one, the more I thought about is like what's synonymous with Florida.


Speaker D

And it's like old people, I mean, to be kind of blunt.


Speaker D

So what you really want is kind of a.


Speaker D

Like a theme park for older people.


Speaker D

So kind of like Disneyland, but for older people.


Speaker D

So like gentle roller coasters.


Speaker D

You know, like a track where they can go around on their.


Speaker D

And they're golf simulator.


Speaker D

Yeah, exactly.


Speaker D

You're a golf simulator.


Speaker D

But it's like, I think that's what they're missing in Florida.


Speaker D

And I think you'd make a lot.


Speaker C

I mean, I've been fishing, like amusement park rides that are like a massage chair.


Speaker C

Like that's what you do.


Speaker D

Gentle roller, gentle for people's hearts, you know, that's what you're looking.


Speaker D

Yes.


Speaker C

Oh, my God.


Speaker C

Oh, my God.


Speaker C

And the alligator store.


Speaker C

I could definitely sink my teeth into that.


Speaker C

All right, Kelly.


Speaker C

Last one.


Speaker C

Liquid deaths Pit Diaper, priced at $75, is reportedly flying off shelves following a viral bathroom incident at a recent San Francisco concert at $75.


Speaker C

And as an esteemed retail consultant, do you think the pit diaper is underpriced, overpriced, or properly priced?


Speaker B

You know, I was sad to Google pit diaper.


Speaker B

That was a wild visual to start my day.


Speaker C

But it is worth to do though.


Speaker C

It is worth the dude.


Speaker C

Yeah.


Speaker B

It proceed with caution.


Speaker B

I would say appropriately price if it's flying off the shelf, you know, keep going with it, guys.


Speaker B

You know, a diaper, I had to look this up to see, you know, what is just a regular diaper cost nowadays.


Speaker B

It's.


Speaker B

It's probably double the cost of a adult diaper 30 pack.


Speaker B

So it's definitely expensive.


Speaker B

But you know, it's got the chains, it's got the pleather, and people will spend a lot of money for that kind of rave gear.


Speaker B

That's not my.


Speaker B

My personal shopping space.


Speaker B

But I think as long as they can ride this high, keep doing it.


Speaker C

So you think it's right price.


Speaker C

No reason to raise the price.


Speaker C

Get any more margin and I could see you wearing one of these because you're a frequent concert goer.


Speaker C

What do you think?


Speaker C

Could you.


Speaker D

Could.


Speaker A

Could we see you wearing one of.


Speaker C

These at a future?


Speaker A

No way.


Speaker A

I am too old.


Speaker A

I This.


Speaker A

I am too old for this.


Speaker A

I'm not in the pit anymore.


Speaker A

I am.


Speaker A

I am.


Speaker A

I am paying the extra money for the VIP tickets with their own bathroom.


Speaker A

Chris.


Speaker D

I am.


Speaker A

I'm so beyond pit diapers.


Speaker A

Maybe back in my 20s, but.


Speaker B

And the pit diaper appears to be, like, worn as pants as well, you know, it's under your clothes.


Speaker B

It is no fit.


Speaker B

So it's for the bold of heart.


Speaker B

For sure.


Speaker A

I'm gonna be.


Speaker A

I'm gonna be going away from the people wearing pit diapers.


Speaker A

Let me just tell you that it's not gonna smell great.


Speaker A

I have a feeling you're too old for the pit.