In the latest edition of the Omni Talk Fast Five, sponsored by Takeoff and the A&M Consumer & Retail Group Anne Mezzenga and guest host James Cook Americas Director of Retail Research for JLL and host of the podcast Where We Buy discuss:

-Kroger and Kitchen United’s ghost kitchen partnership allowing picky families everywhere to each order a different restaurant meal and the week’s fill-in groceries in one trip.

-No more waiting In lines for click and collect pickup or, more importantly, to make returns for Marks & Spencer customers and how long it’s going to take US retailers to adopt the tech.

-Whether Wolverine will have better luck than most of the footwear companies before them acquiring apparel brand Sweaty Betty and if athleisure will stay hot when we return to work.

-Square’s Afterpay acquisition and the best bets for how BNPL providers can try to differentiate themselves in the growing roster of players.

-The “influencer” vs. “creator” debate and what it’ll mean when brands shift their TV budgets to the EMCEE e-comm stores of Tik-Tok stars.

While on the topic, Anne and James also discuss the brand James is best suited to be an influencer/creator for, the number of beers James is likely to get from a Corona-distributing vending machine that only accepts orders using the perfect Spanish dialect, and the side hustle they plan to start outside the Harry Potter experience in New York.

To learn more about the A&M Consumer & Retail Group, visit: http://www.alvarezandmarsal.com/industries/retail/retail

To learn more about Takeoff, visit: http://www.takeoff.com/

You can find James Cook's podcast Where We Buy here: https://wherewebuy.show/ and YouTube Channel for Everything We Know About Retail here: Everythingweknow.show

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