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, A&M Brooks Levering and Bryson Waterman joined Chris and Anne to discuss:

• Walmart’s stroke of merchandising genius around the Nintendo Switch 2 launch (Source)
• Amazon restructuring around its “One Grocery” strategy (Source)
• H&M’s plans to reverse its market share declines through AI and store efficiency gains (Source)
• Albertsons’ decision to go all-in on in-store video (Source)
• And closed with a look at why in the world Costco would want to build its own standalone gas stations (Source)

There’s all that, plus Lowe’s VP Michael McCluskey stopped by for 5 Insightful Minutes on Marketplaces, and Chris and Anne asked Brooks and Bryson about everything from Cheerios and Corvettes to what makes the perfect breakfast sandwich.

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

In this special closing interview from the VusionGroup Podcast Studio at CGF 2025 in Amsterdam, Frans Muller, CEO of Ahold Delhaize, joins Omni Talk Retail (0:10). He opens with reflections on the value of the Consumer Goods Forum and his time as co-chair (1:15), before diving into Ahold’s strategy of acting small at scale by empowering local stores and embracing community-specific solutions (2:15). He discusses how loyalty data and AI are reshaping personalized experiences (4:00), and how technology makes it easier to remain locally relevant while capturing operational efficiencies (5:30). Frans shares thoughts on sustainability, collaboration across the value chain, and lessons from peers on issues like plastic waste and human rights due diligence (6:30). He wraps with reflections on leadership, vulnerability, and the importance of staying humble and curious—even as a global CEO (9:00).

#FransMuller #AholdDelhaize #cgf2025 #retailleadership #SustainableRetail #foodwaste #groceryinnovation #retailtechnology #omnitalkretail

Anne and Chris deliver lightning-fast takes on the week's quirkiest retail headlines, covering everything from Tesco's 90s nightclub pop-up to Uber's senior-friendly app features. The segment showcases their signature blend of retail expertise and entertainment while broadcasting live from Amsterdam's Consumer Goods Forum.

Special thanks to the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand for sponsoring this week's segment.

For the full epsisode, head here https://youtu.be/7Xn7tNqtskk

#lightninground #retailnews #TescoNightclub #UberSeniors #auntieannes #genz #Amsterdam #dutchfood #retailpodcast #ConsumerGoodsForum #90snostalgia #AccessibilityTech #MallFood #retailstrategy #omnitalkretail

Peloton launched "Repowered," a resale marketplace for used fitness equipment where sellers retain 70% of the sale price while Peloton and platform provider Archive split the remaining 30%. The platform uses AI for pricing suggestions and aims to capture value from the secondary market, though experts worry about Peloton's operational execution track record.

Special thanks to the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand for sponsoring this week's podcast.

For the full epsisode, head here https://youtu.be/7Xn7tNqtskk

#peloton #resale #fitnessequipment #retailnews

Amazon is developing humanoid robots that will ride in Rivian electric vans and deliver packages, currently testing the technology in a San Francisco facility designed like an obstacle course. While the concept represents significant automation advancement, experts question whether society is ready for humanoid robots delivering packages in residential areas.

For the full epsisode, head here https://youtu.be/7Xn7tNqtskk

Special thanks to the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand for sponsoring this week's podcast.

Dollar General is launching new celebrity home collections including partnerships with Kathy Ireland, and other brands as part of its "Home Valley" expansion across 20,000+ stores. The strategy aims to attract higher-income shoppers seeking quality home goods at discount prices through a "treasure hunt" shopping experience.

Special thanks to the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand for sponsoring this week's podcast.

For the full epsisode, head here https://youtu.be/7Xn7tNqtskk

#dollargeneral #kathyireland #homefurnishing #retailnews #privatelabel

Walmart introduced "Ask Sparky," an AI assistant that helps customers find products, synthesize reviews, and get personalized recommendations through natural language searches. The company plans to evolve Sparky into agentic AI that can automatically take actions, positioning Walmart in the super app conversation alongside Google and Amazon.

Special thanks to the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand for sponsoring this week's podcast.

For the full epsisode, head here https://youtu.be/7Xn7tNqtskk

#walmart #genai #agenticai #amazon #amazonai #googleai #retailnews

In this final CGF 2025 interview recorded live from the VusionGroup Podcast Studio, Juan Aguiriano, Group Head of Sustainability at Kerry Group, joins Omni Talk Retail to share how Kerry is helping transform global food systems.

Juan kicks off with what energized him most at the event (0:30) and details a not-so-secret breakfast meeting of CSOs including Ahold’s Alex Holt (1:00). He outlines Kerry’s innovation-with-impact strategy—cutting food waste with shelf-life tech (2:30), reducing sugar and salt while preserving taste (3:30), and scaling biotech platforms like fermentation and enzymes (4:30). He then dives into Kerry’s use of AI for food concept development (5:30), combining chef creativity with data to digitally prototype sustainable products (6:30). Juan closes with a look at carbon tracking, hybrid dairy, and how digital platforms help Kerry measure its footprint across 22,000+ products (9:00), making better food and a better planet achievable—at scale.

#KerryGroup #foodinnovation #sustainablenutrition #cgf2025 #JuanAguiriano #omnitalkretail #AIinFood #HybridDairy #foodwaste #CarbonTracking

Walmart launched a strategic "Who Knew?" advertising campaign featuring actor Walton Goggins to highlight its transformation into a comprehensive Amazon competitor with over 500 million items and superior membership benefits. The campaign positions Walmart Plus as offering more value than Amazon Prime with gas discounts, express delivery, and lower annual subscription costs.

Special thanks to the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand for sponsorship this week's podcast.

For the full epsisode, head here https://youtu.be/7Xn7tNqtskk

#walmart #walmartplus #amazon #retailnews

In this wide-ranging conversation recorded live from the VusionGroup Podcast Studio at CGF 2025, Alex Holt, Chief Sustainability Officer at Ahold Delhaize, explains how the grocery giant is making sustainability simple and scalable. She shares her retail journey (0:30), the brand’s “Healthy Communities and Planet” strategy (1:20), and how they're nudging healthier customer choices (2:00). Holt unpacks what it takes to embed ESG into the business (2:40), the power of collaboration—including climate hubs and regenerative ag pilots with major CPGs (3:30), and emerging scalable solutions like dynamic pricing to fight food waste (7:00). She closes with optimism around AI’s role in accelerating progress (12:00) and what she's most excited about in the next 3–5 years (12:50).

#AholdDelhaize #sustainability #CGF2025 #aiinretail #foodwaste #retailinnovation #AlexHolt #regenerativeagriculture #nutriscore #guidingstars #omnitalkretail