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PODCAST

Omni Talk Retail

Omni Talk Retail

Omni Talk Retail provides news, analysis, and commentary on the latest trends and issues in the retail industry. It covers a wide range of topics related to retail, including e-commerce, technology, marketing, and consumer behavior. The podcast regularly features industry experts, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga, as well as retail thought leaders who all share their insights and perspectives on the latest developments in retail.

business

All Episodes

00:05:17

RELEX’s Madhav Durbha on Building an AI-First Mindset...

Omni Talk Retail ·

2026/01/23

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from FMI 2026 in San Diego at the Simbe booth, Chris Walton connected with Madhav Durbha, Group Vice President of CPG & Manufacturing at RELEX Solutions. Madhav shares a practical and grounded perspective on what it really means to adopt an AI-first mindset in grocery and supply chain organizations. Drawing from his experience working with leading companies, he outlines a portfolio-style approach to AI adoption, balancing proven solutions, emerging

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00:06:44

The DiaLogic Group’s Take on Retail Robotics, Shelf...

Omni Talk Retail ·

2026/01/23

Live from FMI 2026 in San Diego, Omni Talk Retail’s Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga sit down with Thom Blischok, Chairman and CEO of The DiaLogic Group, at the Simbe booth to discuss why 2026 will be the year retail robotics finally move from pilots to scale. Thom breaks down what’s driving broader adoption of in store robotics, including rising cost to serve, labor productivity pressures, and the growing need to improve shelf execution and shopper experience. He also shares why change management is

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00:13:42

Former Loblaw & Sobeys CIO Bruce Burrows on AI, Buy...

Omni Talk Retail ·

2026/01/23

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from FMI 2026 in San Diego at the Simbe booth, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga speak with Bruce Burrows, former CIO of Loblaw and Sobeys and current Strategic Advisor at Simbe, about how technology, AI, and shelf intelligence are reshaping grocery retail. Bruce shares his perspective on why retailers should focus on being great retailers, not software developers, and how the buy versus build debate is evolving in an era of AI and private LLMs. The

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00:16:28

What WMU’s Food Marketing Program Teaches About...

Omni Talk Retail ·

2026/01/23

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from FMI 2026 in San Diego at the Simbe booth, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga sit down with Russell Zwanka, Director of the Food Marketing Program at Western Michigan University. Russell shares insights from decades in grocery retail and merchandising, paired with his current role shaping the next generation of industry leaders. The conversation explores how Gen Z and Gen Alpha are entering the workforce, what retailers often misunderstand about

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00:07:33

How Shelf Intelligence Is Evolving, with Simbe CEO...

Omni Talk Retail ·

2026/01/23

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from FMI 2026 at the Simbe booth, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga speak with Brad Bogolea, Co-founder and CEO of Simbe, about how shelf intelligence is reshaping store execution and why real-time visibility inside the store is becoming essential for retailers. Brad shares the thinking behind Simbe’s newly announced Tally 4.0, the company’s fourth-generation autonomous inventory robot, and how advancements in battery life, edge compute, and optical

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00:03:52

Is Tally 4.0 the Future of the Connected Store? |...

Omni Talk Retail ·

2026/01/23

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, breaks down Simbe’s launch of Tally 4.0, the most advanced generation of its autonomous shelf-scanning robot. Live from FMI, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss why expanded coverage across produce, freezers, and top stock is a game-changer, how real-time shelf data becomes the foundation for the connected store, and why in-store robotics may offer one of

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00:06:34

ChatGPT Enters the Ad Game | Fast Five Shorts

Omni Talk Retail ·

2026/01/23

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, breaks down OpenAI’s move to begin testing ads on ChatGPT — a major shift in how AI-powered search may monetize. Live from FMI, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga debate whether users will care about ads at all, why UI and buying friction matter more than privacy fears, and what this signals about the escalating battle between OpenAI and Google. They also explore

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00:04:41

Kroger Bets on Uber for Grocery Delivery at Scale |...

Omni Talk Retail ·

2026/01/23

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, breaks down Kroger’s nationwide rollout of grocery delivery through Uber Eats, Uber, and Postmates... putting nearly 2,700 stores on yet another major platform. Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss why Kroger is embracing every delivery channel, how this strategy compares to Walmart and Amazon’s owned networks, and whether expanding third-party delivery is a

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00:04:52

Lightning Round: Love Letters, Wedding Drama & Magic...

Omni Talk Retail ·

2026/01/23

This Lightning Round segment of the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, closes out the show with rapid-fire takes on culture, fashion, and the lighter side of retail. From retro love letters and typewriter nostalgia to celebrity wedding drama, fashion legacy, and Broadway’s Magic Mike Live, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga keep things fast, fun, and unpredictable. ⏩ Tune in for the full episode here:

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00:05:54

Fanatics vs. Gap: Who Wins the Retail Entertainment...

Omni Talk Retail ·

2026/01/23

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, breaks down why entertainment has become retail’s latest buzzword... from Fanatics launching Fanatics Studios to Gap appointing its first-ever Chief Entertainment Officer. Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga debate whether retail entertainment is a true growth engine or just modern marketing, why Fanatics’ sports flywheel gives it a massive edge, and whether Gap’s

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00:04:41

Can Walmart Win High-Income Home Shoppers? | Fast...

Omni Talk Retail ·

2026/01/23

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, breaks down Walmart’s push into trendier, more upscale home goods as it looks to attract higher-income shoppers and take share from Amazon. Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss why home is ultimately a price-and-search-driven category, how Walmart’s scale, returns, and Walmart+ advantages change the game, and why selling high-end items may be far less risky

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00:19:12

Accenture on AI, GLP-1s, and the Future of Grocery...

Omni Talk Retail ·

2026/01/23

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from FMI 2026 at the Simbe booth, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga speak with Karen Fang Grant, Managing Director and Global Research Lead at Accenture, about how technology, health trends, and AI are reshaping the future of grocery retail. Karen shares how forces like GLP 1 adoption, evolving definitions of health and wellness, and changing consumer expectations are influencing assortment, operations, and enterprise decision making across grocery

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00:09:38

Why In Store Media Is the Next Growth Lever for...

Omni Talk Retail ·

2026/01/23

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from FMI 2026 at the Simbe booth, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga speak with Julian Mintz, VP of Sales at Albertsons Media Collective, about how retail media is evolving and what brands are looking for next. Julian shares how Albertsons Media Collective is leveraging national scale, local banner strength, and true omnichannel reach to help brands connect with shoppers from the couch all the way to checkout. The conversation explores why in store

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00:14:26

Albertsons Media Collective’s SVP Shares Why In-Store...

Omni Talk Retail ·

2026/01/23

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from FMI 2026 at the Simbe booth, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga sit down with Brian Monahan, SVP of Albertsons Media Collective, to discuss how retail media is evolving and why in store media is emerging as the next major growth frontier. Brian shares his background across Walmart, Pinterest, Dentsu, and now Albertsons, and explains why retail media is far from a bubble. The conversation explores how first party data, authenticated shoppers, and

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00:08:52

Schnucks’ Tim Horton on Center Store Strategy, Health...

Omni Talk Retail ·

2026/01/23

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from FMI 2026 at the Simbe booth, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga sit down with Tim Horton, Vice President of Center Store at Schnucks, to discuss how center store strategy is evolving as consumer health trends, technology, and store execution continue to collide. Tim shares his personal journey growing up in the grocery business and why center store remains a critical frontier for physical retail. The conversation explores how trends like GLP 1

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00:41:32

ChatGPT Goes Ad-Supported, Gap Goes Hollywood &...

Omni Talk Retail ·

2026/01/21

In this week's Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, Chris and Anne discussed: ChatGPT beginning to test ads for logged-in users (Source) Kroger launching on Uber nationwide across 2,700 stores (Source) Walmart leaning into trendier, upscale home goods (Source) Fanatics launching an entertainment studio while Gap creates a Chief Entertainment Officer role (Source) Simbe unveiling Tally 4.0 with advanced AI

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00:40:04

Confessions Of Supply Chain Executives | Why 2025 Was...

Omni Talk Retail ·

2026/01/20

In this episode of Confessions of Supply Chain Executives, host Chris Walton sits down with Kim Baudry, Market Development Director at Dematic, to unpack why 2025 wasn’t a year of transformation for retail. It was a year of survival.Despite continued investment in automation and analytics, many retailers are more cautious than ever. Inventory levels are rising. Capital spending is slowing. And behind the scenes, fear, not strategy, is driving decisions. Kim calls 2025 a “vanilla” year. Stable on

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00:09:14

CVS Private Brands Strategy, Simplification, and...

Omni Talk Retail ·

2026/01/19

In this Omni Talk Retail episode, recorded live from NRF 2026, Mike Wier, Vice President of Store Brands at CVS, joins Anne Mezzenga and Chris Walton to discuss how CVS is rethinking private brands as a core growth engine across health, wellness, and everyday convenience. Mike explains what it means to run store brands like a “mini CEO,” overseeing product development, sourcing, branding, and growth across a 9,000-store footprint. With most CVS customers shopping quick, mission-driven trips, the

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00:28:12

Agentic Commerce at NRF and the Real AI Takeaways...

Omni Talk Retail ·

2026/01/19

In this Retail Technology Spotlight episode, Amy Vener, Global Retail & Consumer Goods Marketing Director for Commercial Cloud & AI at Microsoft, joins Omni Talk to unpack the main takeaways from NRF and where retailers should focus next as agentic commerce moves from theory to execution. Drawing on her experience across Walmart, Pinterest, and Microsoft, Amy shares how retailers are shifting away from AI hype and toward real, measurable outcomes. From conversational shopping agents and

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00:45:16

Amazon's Walmart Play, AI Shopping Protocols & Drone...

Omni Talk Retail ·

2026/01/14

In this week's Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, Quorso, and Veloq, Chris and Anne discussed:Amazon's plans to build a 225,000 square foot retail store in Orland Park, Illinois (Source) Google's launch of a Universal Commerce Protocol with backing from major retailers (Source) Circle K expanding its partnership with Corso to over 7,800 US locations (Source) Small merchants upset over Amazon's Buy for Me AI feature listing

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1,422 results

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