Omni Talk

SPS Commerce's Nick Schwalbach and Brandon Pierre dive deep into the critical importance of item data accuracy for retailers and brands in today's fast-paced, omnichannel landscape. Discover how gaps in item information can lead to supply chain inefficiencies, missed sales opportunities, and poor customer experiences. Schwalbach and Pierre discuss the challenges retailers face when relying on manual processes and disparate systems like Excel and EDI for managing item data. They emphasize the need for effective vendor collaboration and the adoption of standardized data pools such as GDSN and GS1 to streamline data exchange and ensure consistency across channels. Learn how retailers can tackle specific business problems, such as optimizing freight and reducing dimensional weight charges, by focusing on critical item attributes. The duo also shares best practices for seamless new item setup and the importance of aligning e-commerce and in-store experiences through accurate and complete item data. As consumer

In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five retail news roundup, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Wiliot, Avalara, TGW, and Sezzle, A&M’s Abhinav Chandra and Ben Lowden joined Chris and Anne to discuss: - TikTok paying creators commissions based on how well their content shows up in search (Source: The Verge) - The serendipitous position Walmart+ affords Walmart in regards to self-checkout (Source: Supermarket News) - Nike’s refocus on wholesale (Source: Retail Dive) - Shein introducing its “Supply Chain as a Service” offering to U.S. retailers (Source: WSJ) - And closed with an examination of what Amazon same-day pharmacy delivery means for CVS and Walgreens (Source: CNBC) There’s all that, plus some pub for our soon to be released podcast with Aldi’s VP of National Real Estate that Chris and Anne recorded live at RetailSpaces, college courses on Metallica, and just how much Ben was a true Dungeon & Dragons fan in his youth. P.S. We are also gearing up for CommerceNext out in NYC in June. Scaled ret

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five live from the Shoptalk TV Studio sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Wiliot, TGW-Logistics and Sezzle Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Dollar General & Target Cutting Back Self-checkout For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/rHpWvSWuZIs

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five live from the Shoptalk TV Studio sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Wiliot, TGW-Logistics and Sezzle Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: If Simon Is Building The Mall Of The Future? For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/rHpWvSWuZIs

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five live from the Shoptalk TV Studio sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Wiliot, TGW-Logistics and Sezzle Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Walmart’s Route Optimization SaaS Play For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/rHpWvSWuZIs

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five live from the Shoptalk TV Studio sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Wiliot, TGW-Logistics and Sezzle Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Target Going Wholesale With Cat & Jack For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/rHpWvSWuZIs

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five live from the Shoptalk TV Studio sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Wiliot, TGW-Logistics and Sezzle Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Macy’s Bold New Chapter For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/rHpWvSWuZIs

In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five retail news roundup, recorded live from Shoptalk in Las Vegas, and sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Wiliot, Avalara, TGW, and Sezzle, Chris and Anne discussed: - Macy's launching their "Bold New Chapter" strategy (Source: Retail Dive) - Target going wholesale with their Cat & Jack line at Hudson's Bay (Source: Retail Dive) - Walmart launching another SaaS play for retailers, "Route Optimization" (Source: Investing.com) - Whether or not Simon's Southdale Mall is the truly the "Mall of the Future" (Source: Wall Street Journal) - And closed with Dollar General and Target cutting back self-checkout (Source: PYMNTS.com and Axios) There’s all that, plus the condiments we can't live without, the best Grey's Anatomy category, and what Chris's best birthday party memory is. 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 #1 podcast ranking in all of retail o

Join the Omni Talk Retail crew as they dive deep into key takeaways from the retail industry's premier event. Alongside Shoptalk's very own Head of Content for the U.S., Joe Laszlo, VP of Original Content and Strategy, Ben Miller, and Content Director, Alexa Tietjen, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga unpack the hottest topics from on and off the conference floor. From the intersection of GenAI to the evolution of Unified Commerce and beyond, no stone is left unturned. Whether you experienced the event firsthand or followed Omni Talk's coverage from home, this podcast is your ultimate guide to all things Shoptalk. Don't miss out on the Shoptalk goods you need to know – only on this podcast!

In this exclusive Omni Talk interview from Shoptalk 2023, sponsored by Meta, Kathryn Mazza, the newly-appointed SVP of Red Media at Hy-Vee, shares her insights on the rapidly-evolving world of retail media networks. With an impressive 18-year career at Dick's Sporting Goods, where she launched and scaled their retail media network, Mazza brings a wealth of experience to her new role at Hy-Vee. Discover how Hy-Vee's Red Media stands out in the competitive landscape, leveraging the company's diverse portfolio across grocery, banking, pharmacy, construction, and distribution to offer unique opportunities for advertisers. Mazza emphasizes the importance of building strong relationships with CPG brands and delivering best-in-class customer service and white glove support. Learn about Red Media's focus on innovation, including their impressive network of 10,000 high-impact digital screens and in-store audio advertising capabilities. Mazza also discusses the significance of establishing industry-wide reporting sta

In this Omni Talk Retail interview at Shoptalk 2024, Alicia LeBeouf, Head of Industry for Retail and E-commerce at Meta, dives deep into how the social media giant is helping retailers and brands drive growth through advertising, innovative features like Reels, and the evolving landscape of retail media networks. Discover how Meta proves the "halo effect" of ads on its platform, with 82% driving in store outcomes. LeBeouf shares insights on Meta's unified commerce solutions, which combine retailers' first-party data with Meta's extensive user base across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, to create powerful advertising opportunities. Learn about cutting-edge tools like Advantage Plus catalog ads with omni-product level reporting, designed to help retail media networks and brands reach targeted audiences and boost conversions. ALeBeouf also emphasizes the significance of short-form video content, particularly Reels, which garner a staggering 3.5 billion daily views, in capturing attention and delivering r

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, sponsored by Meta, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga sit down with Christine Rupp, Chief Customer Officer at Victoria's Secret, at Shoptalk 2023. Rupp shares insights from her 30+ years of retail experience, spanning physical stores, e-commerce giants like Amazon, and her current role at Victoria's Secret. Discover how Victoria's Secret is revolutionizing the customer experience with innovative initiatives like home try-on subscription boxes, which allow customers to sample products, provide preferences, and enjoy a personalized, convenient shopping experience from the comfort of their homes. Rupp also delves into the cutting-edge technology being implemented in Victoria's Secret stores, such as RFID-enabled fitting room tech that provides product information, recommendations, and valuable customer data. She discusses the importance of digital convenience, new payment options, and same-day delivery in enhancing the customer journey. The conversation also explores the potent

In this exclusive interview from Shoptalk 2024, sponsored by Meta, Rina Hurst, VP of Walmart GoLocal, sits down with Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga of Omni Talk Retail to discuss how Walmart is revolutionizing last mile delivery for retailers of all sizes. Hurst shares insights on GoLocal's white label delivery service, which leverages Walmart's extensive delivery network and expertise to serve clients across 10 retail verticals, including home improvement giant Home Depot. Discover how GoLocal prioritizes delivery quality and cost, boasting a 98% on-time delivery rate for same-day deliveries and a 20% year-over-year reduction in delivery costs. Hurst emphasizes the importance of a customer-centric, defect-free culture and explains how GoLocal's tech-powered model enables seamless integration and rapid expansion of delivery capabilities for retail partners. Looking ahead, Hurst discusses GoLocal's focus on growth, attracting new retail partners, and expanding next-day delivery offerings. She also teases the

In this exclusive Omni Talk interview from Shoptalk, sponsored by Meta, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga sit down with Jon Alferness, Walmart's Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer. Alferness shares insights on his role overseeing a wide range of areas, including e-commerce, associate tools, merchant tools, financial services, and health and wellness. Discover how Walmart is leveraging data and AI to create seamless customer journeys and empower associates through initiatives like me@walmart, a unified platform consolidating various tools and technologies. Alferness discusses the impact of AR technology on inventory visibility and the role of generative AI in processing associate feedback and enhancing search experiences. Learn about Walmart's approach to product management, prioritization, and ROI, as Alferness emphasizes the importance of cross-functional collaboration between engineering, design, and business teams. He also shares his thoughts on the hype surrounding generative AI and its pot

In this exclusive interview from Shoptalk 2024, from the Meta podcast studio,, Lisa Roath, Chief Marketing Officer at Target, shares insights on her impressive 18-year career journey, spanning merchandising, operations, pricing, and promotions. Roath discusses Target's latest initiative, Target Circle 360, and how it's revolutionizing the company's loyalty program. Discover how Target Circle, the company's free loyalty program, now offers personalized deals, rewards, and automatic savings at checkout, eliminating friction for guests. Learn about the Target Circle Card (formerly RedCard), which provides 5% off purchases and free shipping, and the new paid membership tier, Target Circle 360, powered by Shipt, which offers same-day delivery in as little as one hour. Roath also delves into Target's strategy for the future, including the company's aim to be America's favorite discovery destination, the intersection of digital, physical, and social media, and the concept of "micro joy." She shares her thoughts on

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five live from Lululemon Mall Of America sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Wiliot, TGW-Logistics and Sezzle Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: AirBNB, Photoshop, Oscars and Jukebox in their latest lightning round. For the full episode head here:https://youtu.be/YFJ7V0B0LmU

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five live from Lululemon Mall Of America sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Wiliot, TGW-Logistics and Sezzle Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Wayfair Rebrands But Should Anyone Care? For the full episode head here:https://youtu.be/YFJ7V0B0LmU

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five live from Lululemon Mall Of America sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Wiliot, TGW-Logistics and Sezzle Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Michaels Bringing Its Digital Maker Marketplace To Stores For the full episode head here:https://youtu.be/YFJ7V0B0LmU

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five live from Lululemon Mall Of America sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Wiliot, TGW-Logistics and Sezzle Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Kohl’s Partnering With Babies R Us For the full episode head here:https://youtu.be/YFJ7V0B0LmU

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five live from Lululemon Mall Of America sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Wiliot, TGW-Logistics and Sezzle Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Aldi Announcing An 800 Store Expansion For the full episode head here:https://youtu.be/YFJ7V0B0LmU