In this 5 Insightful Minutes episode, Marybeth Hays — a former Walmart merchant executive, trusted board member, and colleague of Chris and Anne's at Simbe — joins Omni Talk to discuss the dramatic evolution of retail merchandising.

From unified online and in-store assortments to AI-powered shelf intelligence, Marybeth breaks down how modern merchants are becoming true category experts, why trusted real-time data is finally eliminating age-old friction between merchants and operators, and how technologies like RFID, digital shelf labels, and Simbe's Tally robot are improving how retailers understand customer behavior.

If you've ever wondered how merchandising is and will continue to transform, this episode is for you.

🔑 Topics covered:

• The shift from separate online/in-store merchants to unified responsibility
• How narrower product focus creates deeper category expertise
• Why trusted, real-time data changes everything for merchants
• The Blue Moon Beer and orange slice story—and what AI would have caught
• Navigating the historic tension between merchants and operators
• Why shelf intelligence requires cross-functional executive sponsorship

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#retailmerchants #shelfIntelligence #retailtech #omnitalk #smartretail #AIinRetail #retailinnovation #simbe #tally #retailpodcast #merchandising

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