Omni Talk

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five recorded live from Shoptalk 2025 in Vegas and sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Amazon Haul Being Priced At 50% Off During Big Spring Sale For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/NPi_RSCdcTE

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five recorded live from Shoptalk 2025 in Vegas and sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Klarna & Doordash Bringing BNPL To Meal Delivery For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/NPi_RSCdcTE

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five recorded live from Shoptalk 2025 in Vegas and sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Edible Arrangements Making a Shift To Sell . . . Edibles For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/NPi_RSCdcTE

The Shoptalk 2025 Key Takeaways Podcast is here! Recorded live on stage, this fast-paced episode features Omni Talk's Anne Mezzenga and Chris Walton with Shoptalk's content team — Marielle Bobo, Ben Miller, HG O’Connell, and the live conference audience — as they spin the wheel to hit the hottest themes of the show.

In this Shoptalk 2025 special, recorded live from the Shoptalk TV studio, Omni Talk sits down with Cedric Clark, EVP of Stores at Walmart, to unpack the company’s people-led, tech-powered evolution. Cedric dives into Walmart’s commitment to associate experience, innovation in store technology, and why staying connected to the frontline is key to long-term retail success.

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Walmart going all-in with Klarna as its sole Buy Now, Pay Later provider—ditching Affirm and integrating BNPL into its OnePay FinTech app. Chris and Anne explore why this is more than a simple switch, and how it positions Walmart to become a dominant force in payments. (0:03) – Walmart drops Affirm, partners exclusively with Klarna for BNPL (0:30) – Klarna to underwrite loans, Walmart’s OnePay to handle customer experience (1:10) – Walmart’s OnePay valued at $2B+ with $200M in annual revenue (1:54) – Why Walmart’s customers won’t notice a difference—and why that matters (2:26) – Klarna’s global reach gives Walmart valuable data and fraud prevention potential (3:06) – Is BNPL becoming the next Visa or Mastercard for retail? (3:24) – Walmart’s strategy: Growth through ownership of payment capabilities (4:26) – Signing up is shock

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Ulta Beauty going big with a new curated online marketplace—what does this mean for customers, loyalty, and retail media? Chris and Anne break down why this is a savvy move for Ulta, how Mirakl enables quick marketplace rollouts, and why 2025 is shaping up as the year of marketplace dominance in retail in this latest episode of the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, brought to you by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital and Infios. (0:02) – Ulta Beauty’s official marketplace announcement (0:20) – “Curated” marketplaces—real or just marketing? (1:02) – Why this is a smart move for Ulta’s customers (2:08) – Retail media revenue and loyalty points as key drivers (3:14) – The role of Mirakl in accelerating marketplace adoption (4:30) – 2025: The year of the marketplace (Best Buy, Janie and Jack, Ulta) (

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss the week's most intriguing entertainment stories in this latest episode of the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, brought to you by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital and Infios! We explore Heineken's unique campaign to find a successor for a fourth-generation Irish pub, debate dream vacations, and rank our favorite Adam Sandler films. KEY MOMENTS: 0:02 - Heineken's search for someone with a specific Irish surname to take over an Irish pub 0:27 - Would our hosts change their name and move to Ireland to inherit a bar? 1:03 - Discussing Mariah Carey's viral unimpressed reaction at the iHeart Radio Music Awards 1:25 - Personal story about an unexpected reaction to a surprise birthday party 2:17 - The incredible $200,000 Four Seasons vacation package to all White Lotus filming locations 2:51 - Speculation abo

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss how Kroger is betting big on e-commerce—but is its strategy already flawed? In this segment, brought to you by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital and Infios, Chris and Anne debate Kroger’s controversial decision to separate online operations into a standalone unit, question the leadership choice, and unpack whether this sets Kroger up for success—or disaster. (0:03) – Kroger forms new e-commerce business unit (0:11) – Yael Cosset promoted to EVP and Chief Digital Officer (0:32) – Kroger CEO Ron Sargent emphasizes digital growth (0:56) – Should e-commerce be a separate division? (1:46) – Why this goes against omnichannel best practices (2:53) – Is Kroger stuck in the sunk cost trap with Ocado? (3:54) – Concerns over leadership structure and priorities (6:07) – Are digital sales underperformi

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Wayfair going BIG in Atlanta with a new 150,000 sq ft store—but is this retail expansion smart or risky? Chris and Anne break down why Wayfair’s move into physical stores could challenge IKEA, fill a key market gap, and provide crucial data to enhance their omnichannel strategy in this latest episode of the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, brought to you by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital and Infios. (0:03) – Wayfair announces its second large-format store in Atlanta for 2026 (1:00) – Chris shares the backstory: Wayfair's initial reluctance to go big (2:19) – In-store dwell time up 25%—why shoppers linger at Wayfair (2:45) – The white space: serving customers between IKEA and luxury brands (4:30) – Same-day pickup, easy returns, and why convenience wins (5:39) – Can Wayfair connect in-store behavior

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss how Wonder has scooped up Tastemade for $90 million as part of its grand plan to become the super app of mealtime. Chris and Anne dissect the strategy behind combining streaming food content with real-time delivery via Grubhub and Blue Apron—and whether Wonder’s vision of democratizing personal chefs can actually scale. (0:02) – Wonder acquires Tastemade to fuel its mealtime super app ambitions (0:33) – Wonder’s pivot from food trucks to centralized kitchens and restaurants (1:14) – Grubhub and Blue Apron acquisitions—building blocks of a food empire (1:40) – Marc Lore’s bold plan: Personalized chefs for everyone? (2:03) – The appeal: choice, convenience, and reducing friction in mealtime decisions (2:52) – Is it about delivery... or empowering consumers to cook with ease? (3:36) – Advertising potential: Tastemade as a platform

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five news roundup, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital and Infios, Chris and Anne discussed: - Kroger’s surprising decision to create a standalone e-commerce unit - Ulta’s launch of a digital marketplace with Mirakl - Wayfair’s plans to open a second large format store in Atlanta - Klarna becoming Walmart’s exclusive BNPL provider - And closed with a look at Wonder’s acquisition spree and if its “super app for mealtime” is just bad branding of what is actually a good idea There’s all that, plus Mariah Carey, Irish names, and our rankings of the best Adam Sandler movies of all-time. Music by hooksounds.coom

In this packed episode, Omni Talk hosts Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga interview the most innovative retail technology providers attending Shoptalk 2025, giving listeners an insider’s guide to the conference’s must-see tech solutions. Key Moments: 1:33 – Interview with Big Sur AI’s CEO Vinod Ramachandran on their AI sales agent, content marketer, and data scientist tools 17:12 – Lucky Labs’ Sneh Parmar explains how they connect brands to major retailers with real-time inventory and attribution data 27:47 – Lily AI’s Purva Gupta breaks down how they bridge the gap between merchant language and consumer search terms 44:33 – Syrup’s James Theuerkauf discusses their AI decision support system for optimizing inventory management 56:50 – Placer.AI’s Ethan Chernofsky shares insights on location analytics and understanding retail traffic patterns 1:12:34 – Treasure Data’s Mark Tack on intelligent data platforms transforming retail customer experiences 1:25:01 – Mirakl’s Alex Hase explains the rising trend of specia

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Alvarez & Marsal, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios, and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, along with guest hosts from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer and Retail Group Chris Creyts and David Schneidman break down the week’s retail news. In this short, they cover: CVS Launching New “Mini-Stores” For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/zoe5hsCC9jU

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Alvarez & Marsal, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios, and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, along with guest hosts from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer and Retail Group Chris Creyts and David Schneidman break down the week’s retail news. In this short, they cover: Loblaw To Tagging US Sourced Products With Tariff Symbol For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/zoe5hsCC9jU

n the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Alvarez & Marsal, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios, and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, along with guest hosts from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer and Retail Group Chris Creyts and David Schneidman break down the week’s retail news. In this short, they cover: Buying or Selling: Reckitt’s Claim AI Has Reduced Product Development Lead Times By 60% For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/zoe5hsCC9jU

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Alvarez & Marsal, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios, and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, along with guest hosts from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer and Retail Group Chris Creyts and David Schneidman break down the week’s retail news. In this short, they cover: A Ride Or Die Lightning Round For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/zoe5hsCC9jU

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Alvarez & Marsal, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios, and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, along with guest hosts from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer and Retail Group Chris Creyts and David Schneidman break down the week’s retail news. In this short, they cover: If Portillo's App Fatigue IS Real And A Reason To Move To Digital Wallets For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/zoe5hsCC9jU

How is AI transforming retail technology? In this episode, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga talk with Jessica Grisolia from Scandit about the latest innovations in smart data capture, shelf intelligence, and workforce efficiency. Find out how AI is not replacing store associates but enhancing their productivity, and why next-best-action intelligence is coming soon to inventory management. ⏳ Key Moments: 0:08 – Intro to OmniTalk’s Ask An Expert Series 1:21 – The importance of human-centric retail AI 5:41 – The $1.7 trillion inventory problem retailers face 9:25 – How AI optimizes store associates’ workflows 18:52 – Staples Canada’s 45% cost reduction with smart data capture 27:44 – Retail AI trends for 2026: Agentic AI and coordinated computer vision