Peloton Resale, Dollar General's Home Line & Who Knew Walmart Could Be So Sparky?
In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand, Chris and Anne discussed:
- Walmart’s new “Who knew?” advertising campaign (Source)
- Walmart’s gen AI assistant Sparky (Source)
- Dollar General’s home line with Kathy Ireland (Source)
- Amazon training humanoid robots to deliver packages (Source)
- And closed with a look at why they both think Peloton’s move into resale could be more difficult than Peloton thinks (Source)
There’s all that, plus Dutch food, Auntie Anne’s pretzels, and how much Anne needs the senior citizen features turned on within her Uber app.
P.S. Be sure to check out all our other podcasts from the past week here, too: https://omnitalk.blog/category/podcast/
P.P.S. Also be sure to check out our podcast rankings on Apple Podcasts and on Feedspot
Music by hooksounds.com
#RetailNews #RetailPodcast #Walmart #dollargeneral #amazon #peloton #RetailTech #AIinRetail #OmniTalk #RetailFastFive #whoknew #sparky #GenAI
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Speaker ALearn more@ocampo capital.com hello, you are listening to Omnitox Retail Fast Five ranked in the top 10% of all podcasts globally and currently the only retail podcast ranked in the top 100 business podcasts on Apple Podcasts.
Speaker AThe Retail Fast Five is the podcast that we hope makes you feel a little smarter, but most importantly, a little happier each week too.
Speaker AAnd the Fast 5 is just one of the many great podcasts you can find from the Omnitok Retail Podcast Network alongside our Retail Daily Minute, which brings you a curated selection of the most important retail headlines every morning and our Retail Technology Spotlight series, which goes deep each week on the latest retail technology trends.
Speaker AIt's June 11, 2025.
Speaker AI'm one of your hosts, Anne Mazenga.
Speaker BAnd I'm Chris Walton, and we're here.
Speaker AOnce again to discuss the top headlines and from the past week, making waves in the world of Omnichannel retailing.
Speaker AWe are here, Chris, in Amsterdam.
Speaker AIn Amsterdam, live from the Consumer Goods Forum.
Speaker AFirst timers here.
Speaker BFirst timers, yes, first timers.
Speaker BBut quite a show, quite a show here.
Speaker BCourtesy of the Viewsion Group.
Speaker BThey are, are proud partners for this event.
Speaker BThey've put us up in the, in the typical fusion booth group that we do and get with them every show that we do and it's all.
Speaker BThey always do a bang up job.
Speaker BThey, they make it.
Speaker BThey give us the Cadillac experience and don't they?
Speaker AYes, they give us the Cadillac experience so that we can give you the CAD experience at home who are watching and following along.
Speaker AWe've got some really great interviews lined up for you over the course of the next few days, so please stay tuned to LinkedIn or you can follow us also on YouTube.
Speaker AGreat place to get that content.
Speaker AAnd of course we'll be posting all the podcasts as well, but a little bit later on.
Speaker AThose don't come out quite as.
Speaker BYeah, not, not as real time as the video feed, but yes, but usually within 24 hours we get the videos and we've got some really great, really great executives from the world of retail and cpg, most significantly of which is Franz Mueller, the CEO of Ajo Delez who's going to be joining us hopefully on Friday.
Speaker BSo stick around and keep an eye out for that.
Speaker BBut Ann.
Speaker BYes, we're in Amsterdam.
Speaker BSprenzie Dutch and Sprekensee.
Speaker BDutch.
Speaker AIs that.
Speaker BNo, that's wrong.
Speaker AGerman.
Speaker BThat's German.
Speaker ABut anyway, but anyway, I was like, wait a second, I don't, I don't know if that is the right one.
Speaker AAnd no is the answer to all of those questions.
Speaker ABut, but before we get into retail headlines, I to ask.
Speaker AThis is one of our favorite questions.
Speaker BThis is always my favorite part of the show when I have no idea what Anne's going to ask me for.
Speaker AThe day to ask each other is what's the best thing you.
Speaker AWe took a little.
Speaker AA true holiday over the weekend.
Speaker BWe did a holiday as they say in Europe.
Speaker AYes, yes.
Speaker AA summer holiday.
Speaker AYou were in Paris.
Speaker AYes, I was in Spain.
Speaker AMost importantly, what's the best thing that you've eaten over the course of the last weekend on your holiday?
Speaker BOoh, the best thing I ate Anne.
Speaker BSo we're in Paris, me and the Mrs.
Speaker BAnd we went to the Blue.
Speaker BThe actually it's called the Oyster Club.
Speaker BI just keep calling it the Blue Oyster Club.
Speaker BLike Blue Oyster Club.
Speaker BI went down to the Blue Oyster Club.
Speaker BBut anyway, it was.
Speaker AOh, I thought you Were going to go Blue Oyster Cult.
Speaker BNo, no, no, I wasn't, No, I went Blue Oyster Club, you know, and shout out to, to the secret name.
Speaker BI checked.
Speaker BYes, chap.
Speaker BYes.
Speaker BChapel Road.
Speaker AOkay.
Speaker BThat I couldn't think of.
Speaker BBut anyway, I had some fresh shrimp and it was amazing.
Speaker BSo good.
Speaker BAnd we also had some, some oysters and, and some, some fresh salmon which was seasoned just to perfection.
Speaker BBut what is your bite?
Speaker BBecause I have a feel this question for a reason.
Speaker ANo, I mean, I, I, I don't know that the bite is what I would be the most like.
Speaker AI mean, Spanish food is great, the cheese, the wine, everything.
Speaker ABut I have to say, Costa Brava.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BYou, you, you liking the Costa, huh?
Speaker BYou liking the Costa?
Speaker AIt's the, it's one of the most spectacular places.
Speaker ASo I'm still, I'm still in awe of the beauty that was everything around me.
Speaker AAnd the food was a nice.
Speaker BSo you ate in the beauty.
Speaker BThat's what you did.
Speaker BYou ate in the beauty.
Speaker AYou consumed the beauty of the environment.
Speaker ASo that's why I had to ask you the question.
Speaker BYes, I was, yes.
Speaker BAnd my God, is there a lot of food to eat there?
Speaker BSo many good pastries too.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BSo.
Speaker BAll right, well, let's get to this week's headlines.
Speaker BIn this week's Fast 5, we've got news on Walmart's new Sparky, AI assistant, Dollar General's new home line with Kathy Ireland, Amazon using humanoid robots to deliver packages.
Speaker BPeloton launching a new resale platform.
Speaker BBut we begin with some more big news out of Walmart.
Speaker BWho knew?
Speaker BAnd who knew?
Speaker AI love this so much.
Speaker AI'm already giving it away, Chris.
Speaker AHeadline number one, Walmart has introduced a new ad campaign featuring Walton Goggins of the White Lotus fame.
Speaker AUnder the tagline who knew?
Speaker AAccording to a Walmart press release, the campaign is meant to highlight how Walmart has changed, quote, a lot.
Speaker AThe campaign highlights how Walmart now has more than half a billion items online and in its app, express delivery to your door in as little as one hour.
Speaker AA Walmart plus membership that gives you perks beyond groceries and a digital experience that's, well, better than most people realize because, quote, the biggest surprise isn't what's changed, Chris, it's how many people don't know.
Speaker AIt's already there.
Speaker BI love when we have to quote the press releases.
Speaker BIt's so great.
Speaker AYes.
Speaker AChris, what's your assessment of Walmart's new who knew?
Speaker BI mean, and in a nutshell, I think, I think, honestly, I love It, I think it's a brilliant move, particularly from the cmo William White's mind and more on him probably later, you know, if we have a time to get to it.
Speaker BBut you know, first, I mean, first of all, I have to love anything by Walton Goggins.
Speaker BLike shout out to the name Walton.
Speaker BLike, that's so great.
Speaker AThat was such a perfect pick.
Speaker AYeah, the casting for this was Walton.
Speaker BCloggins, if you've seen the commercial.
Speaker BThat's so great.
Speaker BWalton Cloggins, that's such a great little play on words.
Speaker BBut strategically, I also, I also love this because it says to Amazon shoppers, basically it says like, look, everything you can get from Amazon.
Speaker BYeah, you can now get from us.
Speaker BAnd, and, and more so because once you cross like a half billion item threshold, like it's like, you know, having 600 million, 700 million, who cares at that point, right?
Speaker BAnd, but by the same token, with Walmart plus, you get so much more benefits.
Speaker BIn Amazon prime you get the gas discounts, you get the.
Speaker BI wrote, I wrote down everything here.
Speaker BYou get in store returns, you get express delivery.
Speaker BSo you know when.
Speaker BAnd it's cheaper.
Speaker BYeah, it's like 50 bucks cheaper.
Speaker BI can't remember exactly, but it's like 50 bucks cheaper.
Speaker ASo like the annual subscription.
Speaker BYeah, the annual subscription for Walmart Plus.
Speaker BSo Walmart plus beats prime every day of the week and twice on Sundays, in my opinion.
Speaker BSo, yeah, I think this is a great campaign.
Speaker BSuper smart, super brilliant.
Speaker AWhat do you think?
Speaker BYou love it too, because you already kind of showed your hand on this.
Speaker AI just thought it was a really great, you know, coming from my advertising background, I thought this was one of the great ways to just kind of play on the obvious theme, which is like just the Walton Goggins you're talking about.
Speaker AWho knew you're featuring the.
Speaker AIf you haven't seen the advertisement, it's so good.
Speaker ALike just featuring every single thing in that hole, from clogs to accordions, are things that you can buy on Walmart Plus.
Speaker ASo I think it just was, it did a really great job of showing people hitting the point home.
Speaker ABut I think most importantly, in addition to what this is telling people about Walmart is that in addition to what they can get from Amazon, you also have to think about the grocery and food elements that is so significant here.
Speaker ASo all of these things in the entire universe of Walmart's marketplace.
Speaker ABut then also with a Walmart plus membership, you also have access to groceries.
Speaker AAnd I think what's most significant to the People that I've been trying, I've been evangelizing the Walmart plus.
Speaker BYeah, you're.
Speaker BYou're like the biggest probably.
Speaker AOh my God, it's been amazing.
Speaker ABut I think the thing that's most impressive for people is that should you decide you don't ever want to step foot in a Walmart, or maybe for us, it's not convenient for as convenient for you because you have to drive a little bit further right now you can have the total Walmart experience, get all of those benefits and everything comes to you through the app, through the digital properties.
Speaker AYou can return stuff through the app.
Speaker ALike everything that is in the Walmart system can come to you as a consumer.
Speaker AAnd I think that's where you really are starting to see the significance of this new demographic coming to Walmart.
Speaker BI 100% agree.
Speaker BI mean, I don't think there's nothing more I would add to that.
Speaker BI think those points are dead on.
Speaker BIt's a really smart play.
Speaker BYou know, I mentioned William White before, former colleague of ours at Target.
Speaker BTon of respect for him.
Speaker BYou know, he potentially, you know, if I was, if I was Target, I'd be taking a hard look at him given his background and what he's doing here to upscale Target to upscale Walmart in terms of the perception that it has across the nation as well.
Speaker BSo I'm sure the Walmart folks aren't happy to hear me say that.
Speaker BBut, but, and if I was, if I was the, if I was the Target board, I'd definitely be taking a hard look at him.
Speaker BHe might actually be my a number one choice.
Speaker BAll right, headline number two.
Speaker BAnd as Beverly d' Angelo once said to Clark Griswold, hey, Sparky.
Speaker BBecause Walmart has a new AI assistant and it is called exactly that.
Speaker BSparky2 Walmart headlines lead off today, folks.
Speaker BAccording to Chain Storage, the discount giant is now offering a smiling Ask Sparky button in its mobile app, which customers can use across all product creators, product categories to find items and synthesize reviews.
Speaker BCustomers can also conduct natural language searches to determine information such as what sports teams are playing that night or the weather at the beach they're heading to and get a custom outfit recommendation.
Speaker BWow, I didn't know about that.
Speaker BThat's pretty cool.
Speaker BSparky currently uses generative AI, but soon Walmart also says that it plans to leverage agentic AI, which goes a step beyond generative AI, as I'm sure all you Omnitalk fans are very familiar with at this point because it analyzes massive amounts of data in near real time and automatically takes action based on the results to provide more functionality from Sparky.
Speaker BAnd are you buying or selling the hype around Sparky?
Speaker A100% buying.
Speaker BYou're buying this too.
Speaker AOne again, hook, line and sicker.
Speaker AFirst, because now all Walmart products will be more easily discoverable through this app through the Ask Sparky application.
Speaker AAnd it also makes Walmart products more discoverable through other large language search models because their products are set up to be discovered.
Speaker ASecond to the points that we made earlier.
Speaker AI think if you are going to truly compete with Amazon, you don't have to name it after a dog also, but Amazon has Rufus.
Speaker AI think people are going to expect that Walmart, should they convert from Amazon to Walmart, that they're going to have a similar, similar service using something like Ask Sparky.
Speaker ABut lastly, the thing I think that I'm most excited about is where this can go in the future.
Speaker AAnd Chris, you know that not only do I use Walmart plus for all of my grocery delivery, all of my essentials and pretty much everything under the.
Speaker BSun, I think anyone still listening to this podcast knows that at this point.
Speaker AI also have used their travel benefits significantly.
Speaker AI booked a car in Spain last minute.
Speaker BYou booked a rental car in Spain?
Speaker AI booked a rental car in Spain through Walmart Plus.
Speaker AI've done this several times now.
Speaker ABut the thing that's so interesting about this is that I think once you start to get the agentic element in here, yes, people will be coming to Ask Sparky.
Speaker AAnd I hope that in the future I'm able to go to Ask Sparky and say, hey, I'm in Barcelona, I need a rental car tomorrow through the end of the weekend.
Speaker ACan you get this done for me?
Speaker AAnd that gives me a reason to go back to Walmart beyond just shopping, which I think is brilliant, but are you buying?
Speaker BYeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker BNo, I'm buying it too.
Speaker BThe one thing I take, umbrage in what you said, and it's probably the smallest port I could possibly take umbrage with that.
Speaker BYou said Sparky is named after a dog.
Speaker BBecause if you're from Tempe, Sparky is actually the name of the Arizona State Sun Devil mascot.
Speaker BSo shout out.
Speaker BYes, so shout out to my friends in Tempe back home.
Speaker AThat like little devil guy.
Speaker BYep, Sparky the Sun Devil.
Speaker AOh my God, I had no idea.
Speaker AYes, we had a seal named Sparky at the zoo in Minnesota.
Speaker BFeels about right.
Speaker BI love seals at the Minnesota Zoo, but that's another topic for Another day.
Speaker BNo, but I agree with you an.
Speaker BI mean, I think, I think you actually have to look at these two stories in, in connection with each other because if they're able to get more app downloads, get more conversions, the mobile app serves as a bedrock for them to take this in the arena of agentic AI, which is where things are going.
Speaker BAnd if you step back 30,000 foot view, you have to salute Walmart for just even putting themselves in that position to be in the agentic AI conversation with Google, with Amazon, because it brings in the whole, and I hate to say it because it can be overused, but it brings Walmart squarely into the super app conversation of everything you need to do to coordinate your life.
Speaker BYour life.
Speaker BTalked about it.
Speaker BBut getting a rental car through the app, I wouldn't think to do that on Amazon, but now you're doing it on Walmart plus.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker BSo Walmart is squarely in position to capitalize on that.
Speaker BAnd again, we've talked about.
Speaker BIt's just a question of who's going to end up being that interface.
Speaker ARight.
Speaker BAnd Walmart, I give as much chance as anybody in doing that, you know, provided they continue to show that they've got the tech chops to make it happen.
Speaker AAnd they have.
Speaker AWho knew, Chris?
Speaker AWho knew?
Speaker BHey, it's working already, man.
Speaker BIt's working already.
Speaker AAll right, let's go on to headline number three.
Speaker ADollar General is teaming up with Kathy Ireland for a new celebrity homeline.
Speaker AAccording to Chain Storage Again, the discount retailer is revamping its quote, Home Valley, end quote home selection with collections from celebrities, name brands and designers, including supermodel Kathy Ireland, Betsyville, Beverly Hills Polo Club, and Simply Belle by Simply Southern.
Speaker ALaunching during summer of 2025 across more than $20,000 general stores, the expanded Home Valley collections is designed to appeal to shoppers seeking quality items at affordable prices from recognizable national brands through a quote, treasure hunt, end quote, experience.
Speaker AChris, what do you think of Dollar General moving into private label home goods?
Speaker BWow.
Speaker BI like this one too, Anne.
Speaker BI'm okay on the likes.
Speaker BSo all those people that call me a hater on YouTube, you know, check us out more regularly, folks.
Speaker BYeah, I'm hitting you trolls.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BAll right.
Speaker BBut I like this for two reasons.
Speaker BOne, the margin on home is, is good.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker BLike, probably better than most things that Dollar General sells.
Speaker BSo that.
Speaker BBut secondly, I think strategically, as we've talked about on this show numerous times, things always move to the lowest price option.
Speaker BSo.
Speaker BKathy Ireland, little background for me.
Speaker BKathy Ireland.
Speaker AOh, my God.
Speaker AWhere are we going with this.
Speaker BKathy island was the it girl for me.
Speaker BOh yeah, like absolutely.
Speaker BAnd it was funny because when I was heading up home for Target.com I would get pitched her stuff every day of the week and I'd be like, no, no.
Speaker BAs much as I wanted to meet her, I couldn't be like, like, no, I just can't because it just didn't fit with us in the brand.
Speaker AThat's very good of you.
Speaker BRight.
Speaker AYou could have been like come in for the meeting.
Speaker BFor sure I could have.
Speaker BBut I didn't.
Speaker BI was because like I couldn't take myself.
Speaker ACover model 1991.
Speaker BThis is the whole reason I watched that movie.
Speaker BBut anyway I didn't do it.
Speaker BAnd so like.
Speaker BAnd the reason was because it didn't fit in my brand ethos.
Speaker BBut I think at the time, and I don't, I don't remember exactly but like Walmart, I think she was at Walmart or she was at one of those.
Speaker AKmart.
Speaker BKmart, one of those.
Speaker BAnd you know, so she has a position in the marketplace and so naturally now she's just, you know, moving, you know, down market a little bit.
Speaker BWhich again goes back to the idea of like okay, over time.
Speaker BI think we've talked about this on the show in the past.
Speaker BI see Dollar General becoming a one stop shop.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker BFor an even better, you know, at even lower prices than what Walmart or Target could potentially do.
Speaker BWhich is just basically Clayton's Clayton Christensen theory of competitive dynamics.
Speaker BUltimately the end of the day.
Speaker BSo, so I like this move.
Speaker BI think it's smart and I think, you know, the devil's in the details in terms of how you execute it and how you replenish it and how you buy the inventory correctly.
Speaker BBecause there are some different dynamics there to running like the day to day, you know, things you'd find in the Dollar General.
Speaker BBut net net.
Speaker BI think it's smart.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker AI, I don't mean to burst your bubble.
Speaker AAll the 90s men who were in love with Kathy Ireland and women and my brother included amongst those, he loved Kathy Ireland too.
Speaker ABut, but I don't think it with her Betsy Ville, any of these, Betsy Johnson, I don't, I don't think those brands are still relevant.
Speaker AI think what this does, what does matter about this is that they are focusing on designing a high quality product or a, even just a high designed product.
Speaker AI don't think it matters who the celebrity is that's attached to it because I don't think that those names have the cachet anymore that they used to back, you know, 15, 20 years ago even.
Speaker ABut I think that what we've heard both from Dollar Tree and Dollar General this week is that they are att, a higher income shopper.
Speaker AAnd I think that's to your earlier point where this comes in like, yes, there is a demand for a high design quality product at a lower price point.
Speaker AAnd that's why I think Dollar General and Dollar Tree here are going to really win with that higher consumer because they are investing in things like this that have smart margins behind them, like you said.
Speaker ASo I, I don't know that it's going to be that they're going to be the ones that, that are going to be drawing all the traffic.
Speaker BInteresting.
Speaker BInteresting.
Speaker BI, I, I don't know.
Speaker BI kind of disagree with that a little bit because I think everyone wants to be aspirational.
Speaker BAnd there probably were people that were aspiring to some of these brands back in the day when they were at their height and they couldn't afford them.
Speaker BAnd now if Dollar General plays a card drive, they can make them at an affordable price.
Speaker BAnd it's always just square one, right?
Speaker BIt's, you're starting out and then it's going to evolve over time and they have to get someone to buy into this idea to begin with.
Speaker BSo, so that's why I think, you know, for the most part, if you're going to take this strategy, it seems like a, seems like a good way to go about it.
Speaker BOkay, you want to keep moving?
Speaker ALet's do it.
Speaker BAll right, Amazon, headline number four.
Speaker BAmazon is reportedly.
Speaker BOh my God.
Speaker BTraining humanoid robots to deliver packages, folks.
Speaker BAccording to the Verge, not to be confused with the criminally underrated brand band the Verge, the Verve, the verb.
Speaker BI still screwed that up.
Speaker BAnd it's my favorite line read of all time.
Speaker BI know, and I screwed it up.
Speaker AI know I screwed it up.
Speaker BI look forward to every week when we get a Verge headline.
Speaker AAnd I screwed it.
Speaker BAll right.
Speaker BSorry, folks.
Speaker BAmazon is developing AI software that will enable robots to operate as package delivery workers that are ferried around in Rivian electric vans and will soon be ready to start real world testing at a new facility, citing a norm, citing an anonymous source that was, quote, involved in the effort, end quote.
Speaker BThe information also says that Amazon has almost finished constructing an indoor, quote, humanoid park at one of the retail giant San Francisco offices that's roughly the size of a coffee shop.
Speaker AOh, my God.
Speaker BThe obstacle course reportedly contains one Rivian van for training purposes, with Amazon aiming to have humanoid Robots quote, hitch a ride in the back of Amazon's electric Rivian vans and spring out to deliver packages.
Speaker BEnd quote.
Speaker BHumanoid robots delivering packages.
Speaker BAnn, is this yet another sign that the apocalypse is near?
Speaker ANo, not yet.
Speaker ANot yet.
Speaker ANo.
Speaker AI think that, why I think they, there's still so much experimentation to be done in the world of robots and robot delivery.
Speaker AI mean, I think you also look at this as you're in a perfect environment.
Speaker AYou're in a San Francisco parking lot where the weather is pretty expected, we'll say, or that they, they can anticipate the conditions.
Speaker AAnd robots work really well when they're in a controlled environment.
Speaker ABut unfortunately the real world, you know, apartments in the middle of urban cities like this, that's not a controlled environment.
Speaker AEspecially, I mean, even with the stuff going on in the country right now.
Speaker ALike you do you see the Waymo taxis we're getting?
Speaker ALike, you just, you don't know, like there's no like default button of like, we gotta get the heck out of here.
Speaker BRight.
Speaker ASo anyway, I think that yes, robots, drones, even like Walmart announced this week that they're testing drones in five more cities.
Speaker ALike, I still think we're in heavy experimentation level of robotics and of drone delivery.
Speaker AI think we're still several years out before we start actually seeing this kind of, of proliferate throughout the rest of the country.
Speaker BSo.
Speaker BNight night.
Speaker BYou think this is either like a PR sizzle or like a scary story designed or a headline designed to be kind of a scary, you know, I think clickbait story.
Speaker AYeah, I mean, I think clickbait.
Speaker ABut I mean I do think we're get you, you have to figure this out, you have to trial and error this as much as you can before you get to the point where we can do this.
Speaker ABut I just think we're going to see robotics being used for so many other things that are in controlled environments before we start seeing them let loose on the streets of the United States.
Speaker BWell, and it's not as a controlled environments too.
Speaker BI mean that' part of it in terms of the testing, but it's also robots are best at doing the same thing over and over again.
Speaker BSo your point about drones is really good too, because that is the same thing over and over again.
Speaker BAnd we're only seeing that.
Speaker BWe're not even seeing those quote unquote, get off the ground, for lack of a better way to put it.
Speaker BYeah, yeah, I'm with you.
Speaker BI don't, I mean, I kind of, I kind of poo pooed the, the, the arm, the arm wielding robot in the warehouse and said we're probably 10 to 20 years out from seeing that thing fully deployed.
Speaker BSo.
Speaker BYeah, I'm with you on this one.
Speaker BThe funny thing for me at is like, I can't even imagine the societal impacts of this if like I'm in, you know, a relative.
Speaker BI just keep thinking of like the woman from like something about Mary, the old lady.
Speaker AMagda.
Speaker BMagda.
Speaker BIf she's sitting in her apartment and she sees like a Terminator robot coming down the hallway carrying a package.
Speaker BOh my God, imagine the freak out scale this would create.
Speaker ASort of.
Speaker AI thought that, but then I.
Speaker AWe were at the Barcelona airport and they have autonomous wheelchairs that are driving people to gates and there is tons of elderly people sitting in those.
Speaker AAnd I'm like, like, maybe they're okay with it.
Speaker AI don't know.
Speaker BWe didn't see like a bald robot.
Speaker AThat's true.
Speaker AOh, I, I was even thinking like the dinosaur like dog looking ones, like they'd be like those kinds of things.
Speaker BI'd be like, okay, it's not like coming to get me.
Speaker AOh my God.
Speaker AI, Yeah, I didn't even think of the human and I actually robot, like.
Speaker BThe pictures are like humanoid, you know.
Speaker AThat's true, that's true.
Speaker AThat is not something that.
Speaker BI don't think we're ready for that as a society.
Speaker BNo, I just, I don't.
Speaker BThere's a lot of generations that live in society.
Speaker BBut anyway, let's keep rol.
Speaker AAll right, let's go on to headline number five.
Speaker AChris Peloton is launching a resale market for used bikes and treadmills.
Speaker AAccording to cnbc, Peloton has launched its own secondary marketplace called Repowered to get a slice of the burgeoning resale market for connected fitness equipment.
Speaker ABeginning last Tuesday, people in select cities can now list their equipment and gear for sale and Repowered and set their own price with the help of a generative AI tool.
Speaker ASellers will get get 70% of the sale price and the rest will be shared between Peloton and the platform provider Archive.
Speaker ARepowered is launching first in beta in New York City, Boston and Washington D.C.
Speaker Awith plans to go nationwide in the coming months, Peloton said.
Speaker AChris, this is also the A and M Put yout on the Spot question.
Speaker AA and M wants to know, is skipping the heavy lifting worth the 30% selling fee or will Peloton fanatics stick to using other places for selling their products like Facebook Marketplace?
Speaker BInteresting, interesting question.
Speaker BI think Yeah, I think it's probably worth it.
Speaker BI think there's a, there's a segment of the population where if they're in this, they're going to want the extra validity that doing it through the Peloton platform provides.
Speaker ALike a certified pre owned situation, that.
Speaker BKind of thing, you know.
Speaker BYou know, especially when you think about, you know, who the average demographic is of the current Peloton holder.
Speaker AYep.
Speaker BOr owner.
Speaker BThe thing I would say about this though, as much as I think, as much as you, as I think when reading the headline.
Speaker BI wanted to like this headline.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker BI think I'm a little cautious on this.
Speaker BLike I think I would, my thing would be I would go very slowly with this.
Speaker BIt's only in select cities right now as you mentioned and I think the dynamics of, you know, making this successful in places like Boston and New York City are very different than a nationwide rollout which they're already saying they're going to do.
Speaker BSo that worries me a lot.
Speaker BEspecially given Peloton's operational track record.
Speaker BRecord.
Speaker ARight.
Speaker BBecause the dynamics of delivering those cities are very different than say Yuba City, California, shout out to my friends in Yuba City, which I do have.
Speaker BSo that, that's the one caveat here.
Speaker BI'd say, I'd say good idea.
Speaker BBut I would go slower at this than you're, you're reporting to.
Speaker BEspecially when you're dropping things like AI into this headline too.
Speaker BIt makes me think you're trying to gin up some, some excitement about anyone.
Speaker AAnyone who's used any resale platform realizes that whether you're reselling like you know, video games or clothing, like everybody, they, it automatically uses generative AI to give you a suggested price for your product.
Speaker BAn algorithm.
Speaker AYes, exactly.
Speaker ASo yes, that's for sure sizzle.
Speaker ABut I do think that there's some opportunity here.
Speaker BYeah, you're market than I am.
Speaker AI.
Speaker AHere's the, here's the problem that I have.
Speaker AAnd you called it out brilliantly.
Speaker AThey should go slow and they need to figure out exactly how this is going to work.
Speaker AAs someone who's purchasing purchased a used after aftermarket peloton.
Speaker AIs that what you call them?
Speaker BThat's right, yeah.
Speaker AI purchased one on Facebook Marketplace.
Speaker AI had to get it repaired and the.
Speaker AIt was a total disaster.
Speaker ATotal disaster.
Speaker APeloton essentially told me that they, that I should just, that I should pay $1,400 for a repair that I needed to have a fourteen hundred dollar repair kit.
Speaker AAnd I said can I get a new bike for like $1,500 brand new.
Speaker AAnd they said.
Speaker ASaid, oh, yes.
Speaker AAnd the guy, the help, like, so it's stuff like that.
Speaker AThe help desk guy was like, oh, yeah, I guess we'll figure out how to do this.
Speaker AAnd so I would just caution Peloton to make sure that you have all of these scenarios played out and figured out.
Speaker ABut I do think in the long term, if they can do that, there's definitely money to be made with extended warranty programs with things like delivery services and keeping your bike drivers and repair people employed more and having more for them to do if they can get more of this community to get on board.
Speaker BBut yeah, I think you're right.
Speaker BI mean, as you're saying that those are hard businesses on which to make money, the delivery of heavy, heavy goods and services and.
Speaker BAnd that type of repairs, hard to make money on that consistently.
Speaker BAnd you got to figure that out.
Speaker BSo.
Speaker ARight.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BI don't know.
Speaker BSo.
Speaker BSo we're both kind of like, maybe, maybe not on this one.
Speaker AI think I.
Speaker AI think Peloton's track record isn't giving me a lot of confidence that this is going to be able to be.
Speaker AThat it's thought through enough that they're not going to move before they're ready to, just based on how we've seen that company act over the.
Speaker BWow.
Speaker AAll right, Chris, let's go to the lightning round.
Speaker AAll right, question number one.
Speaker AIn commemoration of the Tesco Club Card's 30th birthday, Tesco is launching a nightclub pop up for the 55% of Brits surveyed who feel nostalgic about the 90s and early aughts.
Speaker BOkay.
Speaker AWhat club from the 90s would you most want reincarnated?
Speaker BOkay.
Speaker BOkay.
Speaker BThat's easy, Anne.
Speaker AAnd the.
Speaker AThe whole, like, head bobbing SNL skit is optional.
Speaker AYeah, the Chris Kattan, Will Ferrell.
Speaker BI can't do it.
Speaker BI can.
Speaker BFor me, it's easy.
Speaker BIt's Light at the Bellagio.
Speaker BAnn.
Speaker BBecause I had many nights at the Bellagio, many good nights at Light in the Bellagio.
Speaker BAnd that's actually where I met Mrs.
Speaker BOmnitok.
Speaker BWas on the dance floor, you know, rolled up to her, said, hey, how you doing?
Speaker BAll right, next one.
Speaker BLast month, Uber said it will soon roll out new accounts for senior citizens with a larger typeface, fewer buttons, and easier to follow instructions.
Speaker BBe honest.
Speaker BAnd when you heard this story, how much did you want this feature for yourself?
Speaker AI mean, I don't think I need all the features.
Speaker AHowever, I will say I do like the photo scavenger hunt that they give you from, like, some of the airports will, like, post pictures.
Speaker AI think it was in Paris last year where they, like had the photos that guide you.
Speaker ALike, look for this elevator, look for this street sign.
Speaker ALike that help lead you that way.
Speaker AI would definitely take that every single time.
Speaker ASo if that comes with the senior citizen Uber, sign me up.
Speaker BGood to go.
Speaker AAll right, nice.
Speaker AAll right, Chris, Auntie Anne's is rolling out a brand new layout to appeal to Gen Z.
Speaker AComing to a mall near you.
Speaker AI have to know, is there any mall treat that you can think of that is better than an Auntie Ann's pretzel?
Speaker BYeah, pretty much everything.
Speaker BI hate Auntie Ann's pretzels.
Speaker BYeah, I do.
Speaker BAnd this is hard because I actually have an Aunt Anne and.
Speaker BAnd so shout out to her, too.
Speaker BI'm doing lots of shout outs on this.
Speaker BNo, I hate them.
Speaker BThey don't have the right butter to salt to texture ratio.
Speaker BNo, I go.
Speaker BI go full on Bavarian with my pretzels.
Speaker AAnd have you tried the nuggets, too?
Speaker BNo.
Speaker AOh, those might be better for you.
Speaker AThey're not like, not.
Speaker ADefinitely not better for you.
Speaker AThey are not good for you.
Speaker BBut I'm pretzel particular and pretzel particular.
Speaker AOh, they're so.
Speaker BNo, I totally disagree with you.
Speaker BAll right.
Speaker BAnd we are in Amsterdam.
Speaker BWhat Dutch food.
Speaker BFood are you most excited to try?
Speaker ACheese.
Speaker AAlways cheese.
Speaker BOkay.
Speaker BI didn't know.
Speaker AI love their cheese.
Speaker BDo you love their Gouda?
Speaker AThe Gouda is unreal.
Speaker ALike, so good.
Speaker ASo good.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker BWow.
Speaker BOkay.
Speaker AWhat are you.
Speaker BI've been told to try the.
Speaker BI think it's the bitter ball or something like that.
Speaker BIt's like a ball.
Speaker BIt's like a.
Speaker BIt's like a hush puppy, but of meat, I think.
Speaker BSo I gotta try that.
Speaker BOkay, I probably didn't say that, right.
Speaker BSorry, Elvira and Rachel.
Speaker BBut you know, I'm trying my best, but yeah, that's what I'm going to try.
Speaker AOkay.
Speaker BAnd the fries.
Speaker BThe fries are amazing.
Speaker AOh, the French fries.
Speaker AYes, of course.
Speaker AAbsolutely.
Speaker BAll right.
Speaker BHappy birthday today to Peter Dinklage.
Speaker AOh, my God, who's your Dinklage?
Speaker BAnd you're going to like the next one, too.
Speaker BAnd Joshua Jackson.
Speaker AOh, God, yeah.
Speaker BPercy Mighty Ducks.
Speaker BAnd to the woman I would have loved to be her swamp thing, Adrienne Barbeau.
Speaker BAnd remember, if you can only read or listen to one retail blog, you have no idea who that is, do you?
Speaker BNope.
Speaker BIf you could only later listen to one retail blog for business Make It Omnitok, the only retail media outlet run by two former executives from a current top 10 US retailer.
Speaker BOur Fast Five podcast is the quickest, fastest rundown of all the week's top news and our daily newsletter, the Retail Daily Minute, tells you all you need to know each day to stay on top of your game as a retail executive and also regularly feature special content that is exclusive to us and that Ann and I take take a lot of pride in doing just for you.
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Speaker BAll right, so until next week and on behalf of all of us at Omnitalk, as always, be careful out there.