Omni Talk

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Mirakl, Ownit AI and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, along with guest hosts from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer and Retail Group David Ritter and Chad Lusk discuss 2024’s Retail Awards. In this short, they discuss which retail headlines deserve the Hollywood treatment, including a $200M cocaine-in-bananas scandal, Starbucks' four-minute turnaround story, and Macy's mysterious auditor fraud case. See why these real-world retail dramas would make compelling entertainment. 0:08 - Initial movie pitch discussions 0:34 - Jeff Bezos character transformation concept 0:51 - Porch Pirates action-comedy pitch 1:32 - Starbucks turnaround story concept 2:45 - Introduction of cocaine-in-bananas scandal 3:41 - Macy's auditor fraud story analysis 4:31 - Final verdict on most filmable story #retail #starbucksceo #retailtrends For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/iyNND1vZe7A

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Mirakl, Ownit AI and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, along with guest hosts from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer and Retail Group David Ritter and Chad Lusk discuss 2024’s Retail Awards. In this short, they cover the most successful strategic decisions in retail this year, from Kohl's partnership with Babies R Us to Carvana's remarkable turnaround and Abercrombie & Fitch's successful brand reimagining. Learn how these companies transformed challenges into opportunities. Key Moments: 0:02 - Introduction to strategic moves discussion 0:10 - Kohl's and Babies R Us partnership analysis 0:47 - Shein and Children's Place collaboration 1:16 - Carvana's remarkable turnaround story 2:23 - Abercrombie & Fitch's successful transformation 2:40 - Discussion of growth metrics 3:00 - Analysis of fashion retail market context #retail #retailtrends #retailstrategy For the full episode head her

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Mirakl, Ownit AI and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, along with guest hosts from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer and Retail Group David Ritter and Chad Lusk discuss 2024’s Retail Awards. In this short, they debate 2024's top retail performers, from Publix's impressive 49% earnings increase and regional expansion to Walmart's successful transformation attracting higher-income customers. Learn why Sprouts' small-format strategy and potential for growth earned them consideration alongside traditional powerhouses. An in-depth analysis of the year's most successful retailers and their winning strategies. Key Moments: 0:03 - Introduction to Retailer of the Year nominees 0:15 - Publix's impressive performance metrics and expansion 0:54 - Discussion of Publix's market penetration 1:18 - Introduction of Hermès as luxury contender 2:54 - Walmart's successful transformation story 3:39 - Analysis of

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Mirakl, Ownit AI and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, along with guest hosts from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer and Retail Group David Ritter and Chad Lusk discuss 2024’s Retail Awards. In this short, they explore why Doug McMillon's success in attracting high-income customers and driving Walmart's digital transformation earned him CEO of the Year, with strong competition from Fran Horowitz's Abercrombie revival and Brian Niccol's impressive leadership at both Chipotle and Starbucks. Key Moments: 0:02 - Introduction of CEO nominations 0:22 - Doug McMillon's success with high-income customers 0:37 - Personal anecdotes about Walmart+ impact 1:48 - Discussion of return-to-office strategy 2:57 - Fran Horowitz's Abercrombie transformation 4:27 - Analysis of other CEO nominations 5:14 - Brian Niccol's dual success story 5:54 - Examination of Starbucks turnaround strategy #retail #retailstrat

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Mirakl, Ownit AI and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, along with guest hosts from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer and Retail Group David Ritter and Chad Lusk discuss 2024’s Retail Awards. In this short, they analyze the year's most impactful retail partnerships, from SKIMS' strategic expansion with North Face to DoorDash's innovative collaborations with Starbucks and Lyft. Learn how these partnerships are reshaping retail delivery, brand expansion, and customer experience. Key moments: 0:08 - Introduction of partnership nominations 0:21 - Analysis of SKIMS and North Face collaboration 0:43 - Discussion of SKIMS' partnership strategy 1:13 - Examination of product quality synergies 2:25 - Cerave's creative marketing approach 3:24 - DoorDash and Starbucks partnership analysis 4:09 - DoorDash and Lyft collaboration impact #retailtrends #retail #retailinnovation For the full episode head her

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Mirakl, Ownit AI and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, along with guest hosts from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer and Retail Group David Ritter and Chad Lusk discuss 2024’s Retail Awards. In this short, they explore the groundbreaking retail technologies of 2024, including Walmart's invisible barcode implementation, the rise of in-store robotics, innovative marketplace platforms, and smart loyalty-based theft prevention solutions. Learn how these technologies are reshaping retail operations and customer experience. Key Moments: 0:14 - Discussion of in-store robotics and automation 0:32 - Analysis of Simbe's $500M funding round 1:06 - Impact of robotics on back-of-house operations 1:44 - Introduction of invisible barcode technology 2:16 - Self-checkout improvement potential 3:14 - Marketplace platforms analysis 4:09 - Walmart's loyalty-based theft prevention solution 5:02 - Customer experie

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Mirakl, Ownit AI and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, along with guest hosts from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer and Retail Group David Ritter and Chad Lusk discuss 2024’s Retail Awards. In this short, they analyze the year's most impactful retail headlines, from unprecedented store closures and bankruptcies to Walgreens' potential private equity sale and Google's revolutionary shopping updates. Discover how these stories shaped the retail landscape and what they mean for the industry's future. Key Moments: 0:03 - Introduction to headline nominations 0:19 - Analysis of 70% increase in store closures 0:54 - Discussion of retail bankruptcy trends 1:15 - Examination of retail channel blurring 2:15 - Walgreens' potential private equity sale 3:43 - Amazon's technology strategy shift 5:16 - Google's shopping experience transformation 6:36 - Final verdict on headline of the year #retailtrends

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Mirakl, Ownit AI, and Ocampo Capital, Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, along with guest hosts from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer and Retail Group David Ritter and Chad Lusk discuss 2024’s Retail Awards. In this short, they break down the most laughable retail headlines of 2024, including Coach's misguided Roblox venture, Amazon's hype about ordering Pepsi on your phone while shopping at Whole Foods, Macy's contradictory store closure strategy, and Wayfair's controversial workplace culture statement. Key Moments: 0:02 - Introduction to laughable headlines 0:10 - Coach's Roblox collection analysis 0:40 - Discussion of resource allocation in digital marketing 1:17 - Amazon's hype about ordering Pepsi on your phone while shopping at Whole Foods 2:17 - Macy's store closure contradiction 3:34 - Wayfair CEO's controversial email 4:15 - Impact analysis of poor leadership decisions For the full episode head

In this special year end edition of the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Ownit AI, Avalara, Mirakl, and Ocampo Capital, A&M’s Chad Lusk and David Ritter join Chris and Anne to look back on 2024 and to salute everything that stood out in retail this past year. Who will win retailer of the year? CEO of the year? And which retail headline would you most want turned into a feature film? You will just have to tune into find out! Music by hooksounds.com

Join Chris and Anne for a candid conversation with Clarence Bethea, investor and executive in residence at True Ventures, as he shares his incredible journey from a troubled youth to startup success with Upsie and becoming a VC. Clarence discusses how AI is shaping the future of retail and startups, the importance of empathy and honesty in funding decisions, and share practical advice for early-stage entrepreneurs, including why early money matters. Key Moments: (1:00) Clarence’s personal journey from Georgia to VC success (3:00) Building Upsie and disrupting the warranty market (7:00) True Ventures’ focus on seed-stage investments and AI (11:00) Challenges for women and black founders in securing funding (17:00) The importance of having 3 key people in your entrepreneurial journey (22:00) Advice for entrepreneurs on persistence and overcoming breaking points #startupfunding #vcinsights #entrepreneuradvice #aiinvestments

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Mirakl, Ownit AI, and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: A Dolly Musical Debut Lightning Round For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/J8I1H1pFBT8

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Mirakl, Ownit AI, and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: E.l.f. Beauty’s Virtual Luxe Lounge is a 3D shopping platform exclusive to its loyalty program members. But does it move the needle, or is it another unnecessary 3D gimmick? This week on Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Ownit AI, Avalara, Mirakl, and Ocampo Capital, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga dissect the concept and share alternative approaches to creating meaningful online loyalty experiences. Key Moments: [00:00] E.l.f. Beauty’s loyalty program strategy [01:30] What’s inside the Virtual Luxe Lounge [03:00] Why standalone 3D shopping rarely works [04:15] Better ideas for engaging loyal customers online [05:45] Live video, TikTok, and other loyalty innovations #elfbeauty #virtualshopping #loyaltyprograms #retailtech For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/J8I1

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Mirakl, Ownit AI, and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Dollar General’s fresh produce rollout is slowing in 2025, with plans to add 300 new locations instead of the rapid pace seen in prior years. This week on Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Ownit AI, Avalara, Mirakl, and Ocampo Capital, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga analyze what’s behind this decision, including the challenges of running grocery within a dollar store model and the financial dynamics of competing with Walmart in rural markets. Key Moments: [00:00] Dollar General’s fresh produce plans for 2025 [01:30] Why grocery is tougher than it looks [03:00] Operational insights from Target’s fresh rollout expert [04:15] Competing with Walmart in grocery [05:45] Why this slowdown is actually a smart move #dollargeneral #freshproduce #grocerytrends #retailtrends For the fu

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Mirakl, Ownit AI, and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: PorchPals, a new insurance product for stolen packages, is now available nationwide. This week on Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Ownit AI, Avalara, Mirakl, and Ocampo Capital, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga dive into the numbers behind package theft, Porch Pals’ subscription model, and whether retailers or consumers should take the lead in solving this $13.4 billion problem. Key Moments: [00:00] PorchPals subscription model overview [02:30] The staggering cost of porch piracy [03:40] Who should pay: retailers or consumers? [05:20] Alternative solutions for package theft protection [07:10] Personalized insurance at checkout: a better model? #PorchPals #packagedelivery #ecommercetrends #retailinnovation For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/J8I1H1pFBT8

Tractor Supply is scaling new heights with its “Life Out Here 2030” expansion plan. This week on Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Ownit AI, Avalara, Mirakl, and Ocampo Capital, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga analyze its growth strategy, retail media potential, and B2B opportunities, making the case for why Tractor Supply is the retailer to watch in the next decade. Key Moments: [00:00] Tractor Supply’s store expansion goals [01:50] The growth potential in the pet category [03:00] Retail media opportunities for Tractor Supply [04:20] Why Tractor Supply could rival Walmart in scale

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Avalara, Mirakl, Ownit AI, and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Amazon has entered the car sales market with Amazon Autos, creating a groundbreaking e-commerce experience for purchasing vehicles. This week on Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Ownit AI, Avalara, Mirakl, and Ocampo Capital, Chris and Anne dive into the platform’s key features, its potential to disrupt dealerships, and how it will reshape automotive advertising. Key Moments: [00:00] Introduction to Amazon Autos and its features [01:47] How the platform simplifies the car buying process [03:23] The role of personalized automotive advertising [04:15] Why Amazon Autos could disrupt traditional dealerships [05:00] The future of car buying in an e-commerce world #amazonautos #carbuyingtips #hyundai #amazonecommerce For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/J8I1H

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five news roundup, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Ownit AI, Avalara, Mirakl, and Ocampo Capital, Chris and Anne discussed: - Amazon’s momentous launch of Amazon Auto - Why Tractor Supply Company may be the retailer to watch over the next decade - PorchPals new insurance offering for victims of package theft - Whether Dollar General’s slowdown of its fresh expansion signals underlying issues with its grocery strategy - And closed by dissecting the value of E.l.f. Beauty’s new 3D Virtual Luxe Lounge There’s all that, plus Brooke Chambers, Kroger’s Director of Digital Marketplaces, stops by for 5 Insightful Minutes, Shaboozy songs, Brain Rot, and Chris’s man crush on the Gambler. To register for eTail West, head here: https://etailwest.wbresearch.com//?utm_source=OmniTalk%20Media%20Partner&utm_medium=Media%20Partner&utm_campaign=10701.019-%20OmniTalk%20Media%20Partner&utm_term=&utm_content=&disc=ETAILPARTNER&extTreatId=7608370 Music by hooksounds.com

Dive into the world of digital marketplaces with retail veteran Brooke Chambers, Director of Digital Marketplaces at Kroger. Brooke shares her extensive experience in the evolution of digital marketplaces from simple seller acquisition to comprehensive platform partnerships. She discusses the critical role of marketplaces in customer retention, the importance of bridging online and offline experiences, and predicts future trends including social selling and generational shopping shifts. Key Moments: 0:24 - Brooke's journey through retail giants (Sears, Walmart, Kroger) 1:12 - Current state of platforms and marketplaces 2:42 - Why marketplaces matter for customer retention 3:50 - Expert advice for e-commerce leaders 4:40 - Future trends in marketplaces and retail 5:46 - Insights on next-generation shoppers and retail evolution This insightful conversation explores the transformation of retail platforms and their crucial role in modern commerce! #digitalmarketplace #retailstrategy #ecommerce #retailinnovati

Join us for a dynamic conversation with SPS Commerce experts Brandon Pierre and Maayan Kaplan as they dive into bridging the gap between supply chain and merchandising teams in retail. From understanding the transformative power of the OTIF metric to introducing integrated business planning strategies, this episode offers practical advice for retail executives preparing for 2025. Key Moments Include: [00:00] Introduction and episode preview [02:50] Importance of supply chain and merchandising alignment [06:30] The role of OTIFF in retail success [14:10] Introducing S&OP and integrated business planning [25:05] Key metrics to focus on for cross-functional collaboration [35:07] Final takeaways and preparing for NRF 2025 Whether you’re a retailer or supply chain pro, this episode is packed with actionable insights to prepare for 2025! #retailstrategy #supplychainoptimization #NRF2025 *Sponsored Content*

In this episode of the Omni Talk Retail Spotlight Series Podcast, hosts Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga dive into the world of private brands with special guests Brandon Warren and Bethany Davis of the Barcode Group. Discover why private brands are crucial to retail growth, who’s winning the private label game, and how retailers like Costco, Walmart, and Target are adapting their strategies. Brandon and Bethany also share actionable advice for manufacturers and retailers looking to elevate their private label programs. Key moments to look for: [00:00] Intro and overview of the Barcode Group [05:21] Why private brands are booming in retail [13:42] Comparing Costco, Walmart, and Target private label strategies [24:30] Challenges for manufacturers in adapting to private label growth [34:45] Winners, sleepers, and areas for improvement in private brands [39:55] Actionable advice for retailers and manufacturers Don’t miss this insightful conversation full of expert takes and innovative ideas! #privatelabel