In this week's Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Quorso and Veloq, Chris Walton was joined by special guest Ben Miller, former Vice President of Original Content at ShopTalk, now an independent retail analyst, to discuss:

• Starbucks' plans to potentially add 5,000 to 10,000 new U.S. stores through a smaller-format concept, and whether the strategy aligns with CEO Brian Niccol's vision to restore Starbucks as a true "third place" experience: (Source)

• Target becoming the exclusive retail sponsor of Bravo's new shoppable digital series "Shop What Happens," and whether retailers are increasingly competing with streaming platforms, creators, and entertainment companies for consumer attention: (Source)

• Walmart expanding Walmart.com access to shoppers in Mexico, and why the move could be another major step toward building a truly global marketplace ecosystem: (Source)

• Dollar General's plans to pilot a new subscription membership program, and whether value-focused consumers are ready for another paid retail loyalty offering: (Source)

• DoorDash launching "Ask DoorDash," an AI-powered search experience that allows customers to search using natural language, recipes, photos, and conversational prompts, and why conversational commerce may be becoming table stakes for retailers: (Source)

There's all that, plus Ben's next chapter after ShopTalk, Starbucks investor day insights, the future of AI-powered search, World Cup predictions, Kevin Costner's questionable cycling credentials, Callum Turner as the next James Bond, Chris' favorite meal from his European retail tour, and why retailers need to prepare now for the next generation of search and discovery.

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 podcast rankings on Feedspot.

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In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Global DIY Summit 2026 in Amsterdam, Chris Walton talks with Harri Karumo, Senior Vice President and K-Rauta Chain Director at Kesko, about what makes Nordic home improvement retail unique and how Kesko leverages insights across multiple retail businesses.

Harri shares his journey from finance to retail leadership, explains Kesko's retailer-owned business model, and discusses the opportunities and challenges of serving customers across Finland and the broader Nordic region.

The conversation explores how Kesko combines data from both its grocery and home improvement businesses to better understand customer behavior, improve marketing effectiveness, and identify new opportunities for growth. Harri also shares his perspective on AI adoption, why curiosity is essential for retail leaders, and why the biggest challenge isn't the technology itself but finding the time to learn and experiment with it.

• Kesko's retailer-owned business model

• What makes Nordic home improvement retail unique

• Differences between Nordic and U.S. DIY markets

• Serving both professional and consumer customers

• How Kesko uses grocery and DIY customer data together

• AI applications in replenishment, marketing, and product data management

• Why customer data creates a competitive advantage

• The role of curiosity in retail leadership

• Customer behavior in Finland and the impact of second-home ownership

• Lessons from the Global DIY Summit 2026

Thank you to Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail's live coverage from the Global DIY Summit 2026 in Amsterdam.

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Global DIY Summit 2026 in Amsterdam, Chris Walton talks with Joost de Beijer, CEO of Intergamma, about what makes DIY retail in the Netherlands unique and how the company is evolving its omnichannel strategy to meet changing customer expectations.

Joost explains why Dutch consumers prioritize convenience, how smaller homes and gardens shape the market, and why nearly every DIY project now begins online. He also shares how Intergamma leverages its store network to support fulfillment, click-and-collect, and personalized customer experiences.

The conversation explores the role of stores in modern DIY retail, the importance of connecting digital inspiration with in-store expertise, and how sustainability is becoming both a business opportunity and a long-term strategic priority.

• What makes Dutch DIY retail different from the U.S.

• Why Intergamma believes DIY retailers sell solutions, not products

• How convenience shapes the Dutch home improvement market

• Why nearly every DIY project starts online

• Leveraging stores as fulfillment hubs for bulky products

• The future of omnichannel DIY retail

• Connecting online inspiration with in-store expertise

• Sustainability as a retail growth opportunity

• Expanding sustainable assortments and reducing waste

• How Intergamma differentiates its Gamma and Karwei banners

Thank you to Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail's live coverage from the Global DIY Summit 2026 in Amsterdam.

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Global DIY Summit 2026 in Amsterdam, Chris Walton catches up with Dan Starr, President & CEO of Do it Best Group, to discuss the company's transformation following its acquisition of True Value.

Dan shares what it takes to integrate two major wholesale distribution organizations, how Do it Best is eliminating duplicate costs while preserving culture, and why speed and urgency are critical to realizing the value of an acquisition.

The conversation also explores the future of the True Value brand, including how Do it Best plans to introduce it to a new generation of homeowners through modern marketing, ecommerce, and omnichannel experiences.

Plus, Dan explains why member success remains at the center of every decision and how Do it Best is leveraging scale to help independent retailers compete in a rapidly changing retail environment.

• The Do it Best acquisition of True Value

• Lessons learned from large-scale integration

• Eliminating duplicate costs and improving efficiency

• Why culture was easier to align than expected

• Reintroducing the True Value brand to Millennials and Gen Z

• The importance of independent retailers in home improvement

• Building ecommerce capabilities for 9,000 locations

• What omnichannel means for independent hardware stores

• How Do it Best supports retailers with digital tools and customer service

• Dan Starr's perspective on leadership during transformation

Thank you to Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail's live coverage from the Global DIY Summit 2026 in Amsterdam.

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Global DIY Summit 2026 in Amsterdam, Chris Walton sits down with Curtis Smith, Executive Director of the Do it Best Foundation and True Value Foundation, to discuss the role of community impact in the future of retail.

Curtis shares the story behind Do it Best's acquisition of True Value, how the combined organization has expanded to roughly 9,000 locations across 60 countries, and what it takes to merge two philanthropic organizations into one unified mission.

The conversation explores how retailers can create meaningful impact beyond selling products, why community investment remains a competitive advantage, and how business leaders can balance growth, efficiency, and social responsibility in a rapidly changing world.

Most importantly, Curtis offers a powerful reminder to leaders attending the Global DIY Summit: every business ultimately serves people, and lasting success comes from creating value both inside and outside the store.

• The Do it Best acquisition of True Value and its impact on the organization

• Combining two foundations under one mission

• Building stronger communities through retail philanthropy

• Why retailers should think beyond products and transactions

• Lessons from supporting more than 150 nonprofit organizations

• The challenge of scaling charitable impact across markets

• How business growth and community investment work together

• The role of social responsibility in modern retail leadership

• Why the DIY industry naturally attracts people-first leaders

• Curtis Smith's message to executives on purpose, people, and legacy

Thank you to Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail's live coverage from the Global DIY Summit 2026 in Amsterdam.

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by Duvo and Mirakl.

In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses:

• Pinterest rolls out a new storefront-linking tool that connects creators' Amazon storefronts directly to their Pinterest profiles, automatically applying affiliate links whenever they tag an eligible product.
• Dick's Sporting Goods partners with Lids to launch dedicated shop-in-shops inside its stores nationwide, with plans to reach more than 100 locations by late summer.
• Target names fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi as its first-ever Creative Director at Large, tasking him with mentoring designers and elevating the retailer's design authority.

The Retail Daily Minute has been rocketing up the Feedspot charts, so stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail insights.

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by Duvo and Mirakl.

In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses:

• Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol says the chain can add as many as 10,000 net new U.S. locations by shifting to smaller, cheaper-to-build stores under 1,000 square feet.
• Dollar General reports that same-day delivery is already a profitable business, contributing 70 basis points to Q1 comparable sales growth across roughly 18,000 stores, and announces a delivery subscription pilot launching later this year.
• Walmart launches international shipping to Mexico through Walmart.com giving shoppers there access to hundreds of thousands of products with duties and fees shown at checkout.

The Retail Daily Minute has been rocketing up the Feedspot charts, so stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail insights.

In this 5 Insightful Minutes episode, Tomáš Čupr, Co-Founder and CEO of duvo.ai and CEO of the Rohlik Group, joins Omni Talk live from Shoptalk Europe to discuss why retailers need to rethink how they approach AI adoption.

Drawing from his experience building duvo.ai while leading one of Europe's largest online grocers, Tomáš explains why AI shouldn't be viewed as a replacement for people, but as a way to eliminate the manual, repetitive work that drains productivity and leaks value across organizations. He also shares why retailers need to move faster, stop waiting for perfectly clean data, and focus on solving real operational pain points today.

Key Topics Covered:

• Why retail employees spend too much time acting as "human APIs" between disconnected systems

• How AI can eliminate repetitive tasks and unlock employee capacity

• Why retailers shouldn't wait for perfect data before deploying AI

• The risks of lengthy AI roadmaps and multi-year transformation strategies

• Why successful AI implementations work alongside existing systems like SAP and existing ERPs

• The importance of designing AI for both people and agents, rather than replacing entire workforces

• How duvo.ai helps retailers automate messy processes in just a few weeks

• Why Tomáš believes retailers should focus on solving today's problems instead of planning for a future that may never arrive

• How his experience leading both duvo.ai and the Rohlik Group shapes a practical approach to enterprise AI adoption

🎧 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more retail insights from the leaders shaping the future of commerce!

#AIinRetail #RetailAI #ShoptalkEurope #duvoai #Rohlik #RetailTechnology #DigitalTransformation #RetailOperations #EnterpriseAI #ArtificialIntelligence #OmniTalk #RetailPodcast

Sponsored Content

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five Lightning Round segment closes out the show with summer travel recommendations, lifelong sports loyalties, and the retail leaders Chris Walton and Chap Achen would most love to spend time with.

Chris and Chap discuss why Europe tops their summer bucket lists, from iconic destinations to the experiences they believe everyone should have at least once. They also bond over the emotional roller coaster that comes with being Minnesota Vikings fans and what keeps them coming back season after season despite the heartbreak.

The conversation rounds out with a look at the retail innovators and executives they'd most want to sit down with today, offering insight into the leaders shaping the future of the industry—and the questions they'd be eager to ask them.

⏩ Tune in for the full episode here: https://youtu.be/BYxUBG-sSTQ

#LightningRound #OmniTalkRetail #Vikings #MinnesotaVikings #SummerTravel #EuropeTravel #RetailLeadership #RetailPodcast #FastFive #RetailNews

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment explores The Mall, a startup attempting to create a universal shopping feed across thousands of brands.

Chris Walton and Chap Achen debate whether consumers actually want a new discovery platform, what makes shopping different from streaming, and why the biggest players may already be solving this problem.

The conversation also examines what this idea reveals about the future of retail discovery—and why becoming the "Spotify of shopping" may be easier said than done.

⏩ Tune in for the full episode here: https://youtu.be/BYxUBG-sSTQ

#TheMall #RetailTechnology #Ecommerce #ShoppingApps #ProductDiscovery #RetailInnovation #RetailNews #ConsumerTrends #AI #OmniTalk