Retail Fast Five

AI is EVERYWHERE in retail this week, and Chris Walton is joined by veteran retail operator Martin Bailie, formerly of Lidl, Primark, and Tesco, for a packed Fast Five covering everything from Walmart's embrace of AI shopping agents to membership price wars, AI-powered hiring, and David's Bridal's BIG bet on wedding technology. Sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Quorso, Veloq, and SmartScout, this week's episode tackles some BIG questions about the future of

What would you NEVER buy without trying on first? What's the one purchase you wish you'd returned? And when it comes to classic fighting games, are you Team Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, or Karate Champ? Chris Walton puts Cory Painter and Anshu Prasad on the spot in this week's Fast Five Lightning Round, covering everything from shopping habits and questionable purchases to arcade nostalgia and Tesla's flying Roadster. And when the conversation turns to what could possibly go wrong behind the

UPS' Happy Returns is now integrated directly into TikTok Shop, allowing shoppers to return purchases without boxes or labels at 10,000 drop-off locations nationwide, including The UPS Store, Ulta Beauty, and Staples. Retailers including Everlane, Windsor, and Pacsun are among the early adopters, marking the first time Happy Returns has integrated directly into a shopping platform rather than individual retailer websites. Could making returns this easy be the missing piece that turns TikTok Sho

OpenAI has introduced virtual try-on capabilities in ChatGPT, allowing shoppers to upload a selfie and see themselves wearing clothing and accessories before making a purchase. Available on web and mobile, the feature lets users generate images of themselves in different products and save their favorites or organize items into folders in their ChatGPT Library. If ChatGPT can offer virtual try-on, should retailers reconsider spending millions developing their own versions? Chris Walton, Cory Pai

Hackers targeted refrigeration systems at hundreds of French supermarkets, reportedly forcing fridges and freezers to temperatures as high as 122°F overnight. The large-scale cyberattack resulted in spoiled food, equipment damage, and even fires, raising serious concerns about the security of connected technology throughout grocery stores. If hackers can remotely manipulate something as basic as a supermarket freezer, just how prepared are retailers for the next attack? Chris Walton, Cory Paint

Online grocery shopping just reached another major milestone, with nearly 64% of U.S. households purchasing groceries online in September and sales climbing 20.7% year over year in Q3. According to Brick Meets Click, online grocery now accounts for a record 20.9% of total grocery spending, with delivery growing more than 30% while pickup increased only in the mid-single digits. With one in every five grocery dollars now being spent online, should grocers double down on their own delivery capabi