Retail Fast Five

This week we come to you live from Las Vegas at Groceryshop 2026. Omni Talk contributor and the host of GrocerTalk, Ben Miller, joins me for this week's Fast Five, recorded right from the trade show floor in the Vusion podcast studio, built specifically for us by our friends there.

Walmart+ just added CITGO to its Gas Savings benefit, growing the program from 13,000 to more than 17,000 participating stations nationwide while keeping the annual membership price at $98. Is fuel becoming the stickiest perk in retail membership?

Watch the full Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by The A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Quorso, Ocampo Capital, Veloq, and R&S Logistics, here: https://youtu.be/6RQVw_X_fqs

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Quorso, Veloq, and R&S Logistics, Chris Walton is joined by Omni Talk contributor and GrocerTalk host Ben Miller for another round of Fast Five fun, recorded live from the Vusion podcast studio at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas. This week, Walmart fills up, Costco delivers, Harps gets AI, Toys R Us gets bigger, and Meta gets its glasses on.

Chris and Ben dig into five of the biggest stories in retail this week, including:

• Walmart+ adding CITGO to its Gas Savings benefit, expanding the program from 13,000 to more than 17,000 participating stations nationwide and giving members 10 cents off per gallon. (Source)

• Costco expanding its delivery reach by joining both DoorDash and Uber Eats nationwide, giving members another way to get same-day and scheduled orders from nearly all of its U.S. warehouses. (Source)

• Harps Food Stores naming longtime employee and former meat and seafood category manager Will McDoniel as its first director of AI strategy and innovation. (Source)

• Toys R Us opening 120 new stand-alone stores this holiday season, bringing its stand-alone footprint to 160 locations and adding features like Creator Studios, cafes and candy shops. (Source)

• Meta Lab, the store concept behind Meta’s AI glasses, nearly doubling its retail footprint with six new locations while expanding its Best Buy shop-in-shop presence. (Source)

The episode wraps with a lightning round covering which retailer deserves its own prestige TV drama, what words should be added or removed from the dictionary, and plenty more retail and pop culture fun.

Plus, everyone’s favorite A&Mer, Chad Lusk, joins Chris for 5 Insightful Minutes.

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.

Music by hooksounds.

It’s lightning round time, and Chris Walton and guest host Josh Hahn tackle some of life's most pressing questions, from choosing whether Sports Authority or Meijer prepared Josh better for recruiting, to the exact AI superpower Chris wishes he had for his morning routine.

Plus, they debate the best QSR to add to Walmart's restaurant tab and establish a non-negotiable rule for airport etiquette.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/089y7s8PKCE

Kroger has trimmed its full-year same-store sales outlook even as digital e-commerce and retail media continue to see strong double-digit growth.

Chris Walton and Josh Hahn discuss the state of traditional grocery and what shrinking sales forecasts mean when digital layers are the primary bright spots.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/089y7s8PKCE

SKIMS has teamed up with DoorDash for its first-ever on-demand delivery partnership, making thousands of styles available from select U.S. stores in under an hour.

Chris Walton and Josh Hahn discuss whether instant delivery helps or hurts a brand whose entire appeal has been built around exclusivity and hype.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/089y7s8PKCE

Amazon has significantly expanded its Prime Video shopping features, growing its "Shop the Show" tool from 1,300 titles to more than 8,000 while adding new visual search capabilities.

Chris Walton and Josh Hahn discuss whether shoppable TV is finally reaching scale or if it risks ruining the core entertainment experience.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/089y7s8PKCE

Macy’s has posted its fifth consecutive quarter of comparable-sales growth, beating Wall Street estimates and raising its full-year guidance as CEO Tony Spring's turnaround strategy takes hold.

Chris Walton and Josh Hahn discuss whether it's finally time to plant the victory flag at Macy's, or if there is still too much heavy lifting left to do on the core brand.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/089y7s8PKCE

Walmart has added Papa Johns to Walmart Express Delivery, making it the first national restaurant brand fulfilled entirely from locations outside of Walmart stores.

Chris Walton and guest host Josh Hahn discuss whether Walmart’s latest move is a clever way to bring customers into the app more often, or if they are solving a need that consumers never actually asked for.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/089y7s8PKCE

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Quorso, Veloq, and R&S Logistics, Chris Walton is joined by J Recruiting’s Josh Hahn for another round of Fast Five fun, recorded from Chris’s very tiny Paris hotel room across the street from NRF Europe. This week’s episode can best be summed up as . . . better ingredients, better pizza, better delivery via Walmart.

Chris and Josh dig into five of the biggest stories in retail this week, including:

• Walmart adding Papa Johns to Walmart Express Delivery and whether Walmart is quietly building a challenger to DoorDash and Uber Eats. (Source)

• Macy’s posting its fifth straight quarter of comparable-sales growth and raising guidance as CEO Tony Spring’s turnaround begins to take hold. (Source)

• Amazon expanding “Shop the Show” from 1,300 titles to more than 8,000 and whether shoppable TV is finally reaching scale. (Source)

• SKIMS partnering with DoorDash for on-demand delivery and whether instant delivery fits a brand built around exclusivity and hype. (Source)

• Kroger cutting its full-year sales outlook even as ecommerce and retail media continue to grow, raising questions about the future of traditional grocery. (Source)

The episode wraps with a lightning round covering Josh’s 20 years between Sports Authority and Meijer, the daily chore Chris wishes AI would handle for him, which QSR Josh would like to see added to Walmart’s restaurant tab, and Chris’s two non-negotiable rules for airport etiquette.

Plus, this month’s OmniStar is Meredith Klausner, SVP of Retail & Services at Best Buy, recognized for the impact she continues to make across the retail industry.

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.

Music by hooksounds.

It’s lightning round time, and Chris Walton and Shelley Huff are making some very important decisions, from their Super Bowl picks to choosing between Genie and Samantha and naming the Adam Sandler movie they’d keep forever.

Plus, one very specific wish involving a dog that may or may not be possible.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/x4hGqvRTilY