Retail Fast Five

In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five retail news roundup, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Wiliot, Avalara, TGW, and Sezzle, Chris and Anne:

• Discussed Instacart serving up advertisements on its smart carts
• Split on Peloton and TikTok’s new partnership
• Lauded Starbucks for allowing customers to bring their own cups
• Debated the merits of fit tech through the lens of Amazon's new fashion AI enhancements
• And closed with another salute to Walmart for piloting mammograms in a Delaware store

There’s all that, plus bifocal issues, Taco Bell chalupas, and why Costco should never get rid of its $1.49 churros.

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In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five retail news roundup, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Firework, Avalara, TGW, and Sezzle, Chris and Anne discussed:

• Walmart’s bold and beautiful move to put BNPL via Affirm at self-checkout
• Amazon’s confounding decision to test an additional $9.99 per month fee on top of Amazon Prime for grocery delivery
• Why Macy’s shareholders should take a hard look at their buyout offer on the table
• Google’s second brilliant move over the last two months in search commerce
• And closed with a look at why CNBC may have gotten it right on the money when it questioned Target’s claims about theft

There’s all that, plus tastes we would rather eat than drink, DNA data storage, and an allusion to Vera Farmiga in The Departed saying why “honesty is not always synonymous with truth.”

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In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five podcast, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Firework, Avalara, TGW, and Sezzle,, David Ritter and David Brown, from the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, stopped by to help Chris and Anne hand out this year’s retail awards.

All told, they gave out awards across 10 categories and also made some predictions for 2024, including:

• Retailer of the Year
• Headline of the Year
• Retail Technology of the Year
• Retail Person of the Year
• Most Overhyped Retail Technology of the Year
• Retail Headline You Would Most Like to See Turned Into a Movie
• Best Strategic Move from a Struggling Retailer
• Best New Partnership of the Year
• Most Laughable Headline of the Year
• Retail Concept You Most Wish You Had In Your Neighborhood

So give this week’s podcast a listen, tell us what we got right and what we got wrong, and be sure to share your thoughts on social media, too!

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In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five retail news roundup, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Firework, Avalara, TGW, and Sezzle, Chris and Anne:

• Discussed what really could be impacting shrink in light of NRF’s softening on its previously stated impact from Organized Retail Crime
• Disagreed about whether the world really needs Uber Store Pickup
• Lauded DoorDash for once again fortifying the strength of DashPass with its new Best Buy relationship
• Showed tempered enthusiasm for Walmart’s store of the future plans from their Canadian brethren up North
• And closed with a look at why in the world anyone also needs shoppable “TV” programming from Walmart called “Add to Heart”

There’s all that, plus gingerbread cannibalism, how long we could survive living in a grocery store, and Microsoft’s Jeff Strasser also stops by for 5 Insightful Minutes on Generative AI.

Music by hooksounds.com

In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five retail news roundup, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Firework, Avalara, TGW, and Sezzle, Chris and Anne discussed:

• Discussed why Etisalat’s new telecom store with Trigo is such an important mark in the evolution of retail
• Got excited for the merger between Foxtrot and Dom’s
• Threw shade at Allbirds for its apparent attitude and timing in selling on Amazon
• Explored what Nuuly is getting right in the rental and resale market
• And closed with a look at why Victoria’s Secret is making “stores of the future” sexy again

There’s all that, plus Cyber Monday’s origins, what Anne and I would do with eight more teeth, and Amazon VP Dilip Kumar also stopped by to give us 5 Insightful Minutes on the future of Amazon Just Walk Out and Amazon One Palm Pay.

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In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Firework, Avalara, TGW, and Sezzle, Anne and Chris:

• Got really geeked up about Amazon selling Hyundai online
• Pulled the caution flag out on all the Gap turnaround headlines
• Lauded Walgreens for its decision to close an e-commerce fulfillment center in favor of shipping more from its stores
• Feared we can already start to smell the smoldering dumpster fire at Kohl’s
• And closed with an in-person review of the new Toys R Us flagship store at the Mall of America

There’s all that, plus 5 Insightful Minutes on U.S. consumer sentiment with Chad Lusk, Stanley mugs, our favorite camels, and the always unanswerable question of, “Where does the sidewalk really end?”

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To download the Consumer Sentiment Report discussed in Chad's 5 Insightful Minutes, click here

In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Firework, Avalara, TGW, and Sezzle, A&M’s Chris Creyts and Cassie Ryding stopped by to discuss:

• What to make of this week’s earning reports
• The new Amazon and Meta partnership
• Amazon Buy with Prime Assist
• Poshmark’s livestream Secondhand Sunday plans
• And the Founder of Chipotle’s new restaurant concept that runs on robots

There’s all that, plus Nepalese TikTok bans, Andre 3000, and an all too intellectual discussion about WTF McDonald’s Grimace actually is.

Music by hooksounds.com

In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Firework, Avalara, TGW, and Sezzle, Chris and Anne discussed:

• Amazon calling it quits on its Amazon Style fashion store concept
• Google’s launch of discount search
• Shein’s $90 billion IPO valuation
• IKEA pulling back its 5% loyalty discount
• And DoorDash piloting a new warning to customers about bad service should they forgo tipping

There’s all that, plus Tomorrow's Jordan Berke gives us 5 Insightful Minutes on Singles Day, the right starting price point for human artifacts, Silent Doritos, and what we think Jeff Bezos most likely would buy himself as a housewarming gift.

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In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Firework, Avalara, TGW, and Sezzle, Chris and Anne discussed:

• The recent pharmacy walkouts at CVS and Walgreens
• H&M enabling customers to design their own clothes with AI
• Schnucks taking local produce mobile merchandising to an unparalleled level
• The implications of Instagram and Facebook offering ad-free subscriptions in Europe
• Tommy Bahama opening its own coastal theme resort in, ironically, Palm Springs, of all places

There’s all that, plus magicians claiming they can make the moon disappear, crying fowl over pheasant hunting, and our favorite Chandler Bing memory.

Music by hooksounds.com

In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Firework, Avalara, TGW, and Sezzle, A&M’s David Schneidman and Truett Horne joined Chris and Anne to discuss:

• Walmart’s new corporate AI guidelines
• Amazon’s new AI for product imagery
• HomeGoods calling it quits on e-commerce
• Kroger’s sustainable media push
• And the rebirth of BuyBuy Baby

There’s all that, plus Mom’s favorite Tinder date, Bush Beans, and whether David is full on original recipe or extra crispy.

P.S. Be sure to register for Manifest by Friday, October 27th! Just head here: partner.manife.st/OmniTalk

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