While counterintuitive, the new sales tax ruling could benefit Amazon in the long-run. This plus Google and JD.com, Walmart's new small format tech store, Alexa in hotels, and a mall experience where you can make gymnastic freak masks.

—

Omni Talk is a production of RedArcherRetail.com and OmniTalk.blog, hosted by leading omnichannel retail expert, Chris Walton. Chris is the founder of the retail start-up, Red Archer Retail and author of one of the fastest growing blogs in retail -- OmniTalk.blog. His Fast Five podcast dives into the top retail news headlines of the week in just five quick minutes, all in Chris’s signature candid and humorous style. including serious and sometimes comic musings on the past, present and future of retail. Want more? Be sure to check out the After the Five podcast, where Chris and fellow omnichannel enthusiasts, Anne Mezzenga and Carter Jensen, go even deeper into the headlines and what they could mean for the future of retail. If you enjoy these podcasts, please also be sure to visit OmniTalk.blog to subscribe to Chris’s blog and to get all the retail commentary you could ever want, and more, delivered straight to your inbox.