Anne reveals her pick for the most overhyped retail technology of the year: Smart Carts. She has an issue with a particular headline from Instacart this year about the number of stores that had deployed the technology. The problem is that the public doesn't know how many smart carts are…
A&M's Chad Lusk's choice for retail technology of the year is pricing transparency afforded through AI. Using Grocery Dealz as a specific example, this technology price-compares like items across grocery retailers and helps customers build an online cart. This capability is incredibly disruptive, particularly to high-low pricing models which are…
After correctly predicting Target's CEO transition in last year's awards, what's the next big retail headline waiting to happen? The pressure's on for a 2026 prediction that captures where AI commerce is actually headed—and ChatGPT's inevitable monetization moves might be the obvious answer. Chad forecasts the retail headlines we'll see…
When Starbucks announced they were closing mobile pickup stores due to "lack of warmth and connection," did anyone actually believe customers picking up pre-ordered coffee were craving interpersonal engagement? This headline wins Most Laughable of the Year for reasons that perfectly capture disconnect between corporate messaging and customer reality. Anne…
What happens when Walmart—the ultimate value retailer—partners with luxury resale platform Rebag to sell Chanel, Fendi, and Louis Vuitton? In a year packed with marketplace partnerships announced almost daily, this collaboration stood out as the most unexpected and strategically brilliant move of 2025. Chad explains why Walmart's Rebag partnership wins…
When a struggling department store closes underperforming locations and doubles down on what made it iconic in the first place, is that the formula for a retail comeback? Macy's strategic shift this year might just prove that focusing on core strengths beats endless expansion every time. Anne breaks down why…
What happens when the world's most controversial fast fashion brand opens its first physical store in Paris—and the city erupts in protest? This retail headline has all the elements of a blockbuster film: international intrigue, cultural clash, and dramatic public backlash that made global news. Chris reveals why Shein's Paris…
Are smart carts the future of grocery shopping—or just expensive hype with misleading deployment numbers? When retailers hear about hundreds of stores adopting smart carts, they might not realize some locations only have 10-20 carts at tens of thousands of dollars each, creating a very different picture than full-scale deployment…
When a successful retail CEO leaves to join OpenAI, what does that signal about where the entire industry is headed? Fidji Simo's move from Instacart to Chief Product Officer at OpenAI isn't just a career change—it's a statement about the future of commerce itself. Chad Lusk breaks down why Fidji…
What happens when grocery shopping gets its own "Gas Buddy" moment? A technology that lets AI agents compare prices across grocers and build optimized carts could fundamentally disrupt how the entire grocery industry competes—and many retailers aren't ready for what's coming. Discover why AI-powered pricing transparency through tools like Grocery…
What happens when Walmart integrates with ChatGPT while simultaneously building its own AI search tool, Sparky? This move could fundamentally shift the product search landscape that Amazon and Google have dominated for years—but the full strategy is still unfolding in real time. Discover why Walmart's ChatGPT partnership is this year's…
Why is Aldi opening 225 stores while other grocers are struggling to keep customers? With 43% of shoppers cutting back on grocery purchases due to inflation and tariffs, one discount retailer is perfectly positioned to capture market share across all income brackets—and the data reveals exactly why their strategy is…
Chris, Anne, and Chad Lusk from A&M Consumer and Retail Group call out 2025's most ridiculous retail headlines in this segment sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso. Anne demolishes Starbucks' claim that mobile pickup stores lack "warmth and connection," Chad laughs at…
Chris, Anne, and Chad Lusk from A&M Consumer and Retail Group close with bold 2026 predictions sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso. Chad predicts OpenAI will launch its own payment platform for agent commerce, Chris forecasts Starbucks will abandon seating for mobile-focused…
Chris, Anne, and Chad Lusk from A&M Consumer and Retail Group debate 2025's smartest retail partnerships in this segment sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso. Chad highlights Walmart's Rebag luxury resale partnership as perfectly timed for cross-income shopping trends, Chris praises Walmart…
Chris, Anne, and Chad Lusk from A&M Consumer and Retail Group recognize 2025's best retail turnarounds in this segment sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso. Both Anne and Chris praise Macy's focus on core stores, private brand investment, and Tony Spring's shoe…
Chris, Anne, and Chad Lusk from A&M Consumer and Retail Group pitch their retail movie ideas in this segment sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso. Chris envisions "Shein: Sac le blue!!!" featuring Paris protests, Chad creates a Black Mirror-style thriller about Neo's…
Chris, Anne, and Chad Lusk from A&M Consumer and Retail Group call out 2025's most overhyped retail technologies in this segment sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso. Anne criticizes smart carts' misleading deployment numbers and questionable ROI, while both Chad and Chris…
Chris, Anne, and Chad Lusk from A&M Consumer and Retail Group crown their CEO of the Year in this segment sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso. Chad surprises with Fidji Simo's bold move from Instacart to OpenAI Applications as a signal of…
Chris, Anne, and Chad reveal their Technology of the Year picks in this segment sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso. Chad champions pricing transparency tools like Grocery Dealz that could disrupt grocery economics, Anne argues electronic shelf labels finally reached mainstream adoption…
Chad Lusk from A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Chris, and Anne debate 2025's most significant retail headline sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso. Chris picks Walmart's ChatGPT integration as a potential Amazon disruptor, Anne highlights Etsy and OpenAI's transactional partnership as commerce's…
Chad Lusk from A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Chris, and Anne debate Retailer of the Year in this segment sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso. Chad champions Aldi's unprecedented 225-store expansion and perfect timing with value-conscious consumers, while Anne argues Walmart's technology…
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 teamed up with Chad Lusk from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer and Retail Group to hand out our 2025 Omni Awards across the following categories:…
In this Retail Technology Spotlight Series episode, Doron Hazan, Director of Data, Product, and AI at Wiliot, joins Omni Talk to discuss the concept of "physical AI" and how it ultimately improve retail operations from the ground up. From ambient IoT sensors to real-time inventory intelligence, Doron breaks down how…