Live from CommerceNext 2025, Omni Talk’s Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga sit down with Sarah Henry, Walmart's VP of Content, Influencer, and Commerce, to explore how Walmart is tapping into the creator economy and reshaping the retail experience through social commerce. From the rise of Gen Z shopping behaviors to the role of AI in simplifying creator workflows, Sarah gives an inside look at the Walmart Creator platform, influencer strategy, and the future of shoppable content.

Sarah shares how the retailer is leading in the social commerce space with its Walmart Creator platform, helping creators of all sizes monetize authentically. From Gen Z shopping insights to AI’s role in flattening the funnel, this live CommerceNext interview is full of takeaways for the future of retail.

Brought to you by GreyOrange.

#walmartcreator #socialcommerce #retailinnovation #genz #CommerceNext2025 #influencermarketing #omnitalk #retailtrends #creatoreconomy #aiinretail

In the first edition of Omni Talk’s new monthly series, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga team up with AWS’s Daniele Stroppa to spotlight the Retail Tech Startup of the Month—and the inaugural winner is Botify.

Learn how Botify helps brands improve discoverability across both traditional and generative search engines by going beyond SEO to optimize content visibility for bots and agents. Discover why Botify’s approach is a big win for brands navigating the evolving consumer search landscape, and how it also helps reduce operational costs.

Key moments from the interview:

• 00:00 – Intro to new Omni Talk segment with AWS: Retail Tech Startup of the Month
• 00:33 – Meet Daniele Stroppa, AWS Worldwide Technical Leader for Retail
• 01:01 – Daniele’s role in retail innovation and partner strategy at AWS
• 02:07 – First award winner revealed: Botify
• 02:19 – What Botify does: improving brand visibility across search platforms
• 02:54 – Why visibility in generative search (Perplexity, ChatGPT) matters
• 03:37 – How Botify goes beyond traditional SEO
• 04:06 – Analyzing bot and agent behavior on brand websites
• 04:23 – Helping brands ensure critical content is discoverable
• 04:41 – Long-term retail implications: revenue, brand recognition, infrastructure cost savings
• 05:31 – Congrats to Botify and final thoughts on the startup’s impact

Music by hooksounds.com

#retailtech #StartupOfTheMonth #aws #Botify #omnitalkretail #ecommerceseo #generativeai #retailai #discoverability #digitalcommerce

Brought to you in partnership with AWS

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand, Chris and Anne discussed:

• SpartanNash’s merger with C&S Wholesale Grocers (Source)
• Whatnot, the $5 billion shopping app you probably haven’t heard of (Source)
• Walmart equipping its store associates with mobile AI tools (Source)
• H-E-B piloting autonomous deliveries in Austin, TX (Source)
• Amazon testing tighter grocery bundling for same-day deliveries (Source)
• And AWS’s Daniele Stroppa also dropped by to help us hand out a new award we are giving out each month in partnership with AWS, and we are calling it the Retail Startup of the Month

There’s all that, plus french fry pizza, steamy romance novels, and whether Chris prefers bar soap or body wash in the shower.

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 Apple Podcasts and on Feedspot

Music by hooksounds.com

#RetailNews #WalmartAI #WhatnotApp #RetailTech #GroceryDelivery #RetailPodcast #OmniTalk #AmazonGrocery #LivestreamShopping #RetailInnovation #SpartanNash #Botify

Join Omni Talk’s Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga as they sit down with JOOR CEO Kristin Savilia to explore how JOOR is transforming the wholesale fashion landscape. Kristin shares exclusive insights on digitizing the buyer-brand relationship, enabling smarter assortment planning, and helping independent retailers thrive globally. Learn how JOOR's Shopify integration, AI-powered prospecting, and strategic tariff navigation are reshaping the fashion industry for 2025 and beyond.

From shrinking shipping windows to a surge in indie retailers, this conversation is a must-watch for anyone navigating fashion’s evolving B2B landscape.

Key Moments:

• 00:00 – Intro and welcome back to Kristin Savilia, CEO of JOOR
• 01:30 – How JOOR digitizes wholesale buying for brands and retailers
• 02:50 – Overview of JOOR’s platform and client base (14K brands, 670K buyers)
• 04:15 – Surge of independent retailers: From 47% to 62% of GMV
• 06:00 – Shopify integration: Bridging wholesale with e-commerce and POS
• 07:45 – How retailers can adapt to market uncertainty using JOOR data
• 08:50 – Shrinking shipping windows: From 240 to 84 days and dropping
• 10:15 – Brands respond with curated assortments and evergreen styles
• 11:40 – How JOOR helps optimize product curation and minimize buyer risk
• 13:00 – Tariff pressures and pricing strategies: Expect 20% price increases
• 16:45 – JOOR’s "Ready to Ship" event to offload current inventory
• 18:50 – Leveraging regional assortments for competitive edge
• 20:00 – Launch of JOOR Discover: AI matchmaking tool for brand-retailer growth
• 22:00 – 78% reorder rate and 9X better conversion via AI outreach
• 24:00 – Rise in ChatGPT/Gemini lead generation vs. traditional SEO
• 26:30 – How DTC brands can expand into wholesale with JOOR
• 27:40 – Final thoughts and where to learn more at JOOR.com

For more information on JOOR, head here: https://www.joor.com/

Access a JOOR Passport Event here: https://www.jooraccess.com/r/passport/

Download the JOOR Whitepaper here: https://resources.joor.com/how-to-tackle-tariffs-and-thrive-this-coming-market-season

#fashiontech #wholesaling #retailai #Joor #omnitalk #retailinnovation #shopifyintegration #retailtrends #b2bfashion #retailstrategy

Music by hooksounds.com

*Sponsored Content*

Ever wonder what retail experts actually buy at Costco or what cars they dream about driving? This lightning round reveals the personal side of our A&M retail gurus, from brisket smoking tips to the shocking number of Cheerios varieties on shelves. Brought to you by A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios, Clear Demand, and Ocampo Capital.

For the full episode, head here: https://youtu.be/vjOmUkH_Vhw?si=9f8KlsQw8yUdPqan

#cheerios #corvettes #costco

Costco is finally building standalone gas stations to solve their infamous parking lot congestion while expanding member benefits beyond the warehouse. This economics 101 supply-and-demand solution could be the competitive edge Costco needs against Sam's Club and Walmart. Presented by A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios, Clear Demand, and Ocampo Capital.

For the full episode, head here: https://youtu.be/vjOmUkH_Vhw?si=9f8KlsQw8yUdPqan

#costco #costcogas #gas

Albertsons is betting big on digital displays throughout their stores, but grocery retail has a terrible track record with digital advertising execution. Our experts clash over whether this retail media investment will drive meaningful ROI or become another expensive digital billboard failure. Powered by A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios, Clear Demand, and Ocampo Capital.

For the full episode, head here: https://youtu.be/vjOmUkH_Vhw?si=9f8KlsQw8yUdPqan

#albertsons #retailmedia

Can AI save H&M from Shein's explosive growth? H&M invests heavily in predictive and generative AI to compete as Shein leapfrogs to 1.5% market share. Expert analysis reveals why AI alone won't solve H&M's fast fashion problem. Brought to you by A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios, Clear Demand, and Ocampo Capital.

For the full episode, head here: https://youtu.be/vjOmUkH_Vhw?si=9f8KlsQw8yUdPqan

#shein #h&m #fastfashion

Amazon restructures grocery leadership under "One Grocery" strategy, merging Whole Foods employees into Amazon systems. Is this long-overdue efficiency or cultural destruction? Expert debate on what this means for grocery competition and Whole Foods' future. Sponsored by A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios Clear Demand, and Ocampo Capital.

For the full episode, head here: https://youtu.be/vjOmUkH_Vhw?si=9f8KlsQw8yUdPqan

#grocery #amazon #wholefoods

Walmart just revolutionized product launches forever! See how they delivered every Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order by 9 AM with FREE Coke and Pringles, leaving Target and Best Buy scrambling to catch up. Expert analysis on why this changes everything for electronics retail and gaming drops. Brought to you by A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios, Clear Demand, and Ocampo Capital.

#walmart #switch2 #nintendo

For the full episode, head here: https://youtu.be/vjOmUkH_Vhw?si=9f8KlsQw8yUdPqan