Omni Talk Retail

In this 5 Insightful Minutes episode, Ben Miller, VP of Original Content and Strategy for Shoptalk and Groceryshop, joins Omni Talk to preview the upcoming Shoptalk Fall and Groceryshop events. From AI deep dives to tariff implications, Ben breaks down the main themes emerging for Shoptalk Fall (September 17-19 in Chicago), plus reveals the brand-new "Test Kitchen" format launching at Groceryshop...

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the  A&M Consumer and Retail Group ,  Mirakl ,  Ocampo Capital ,  Infios , and  Quorso , Chris and Anne discussed: Amazon adding perishable foods to its same-day delivery offering across 1,000+ U.S. cities ( Source ) Starbucks abandoning its mobile order, pickup-only store format due to lack of “warmth and human c...

The fun finale! In this Lightning Round from the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Infios, Clear Demand, and Ocampo Capital, Chris and Anne rapid-fire through the week's quirkiest stories. From Aldi's "Summerween" products and chicken wing preferences to party attendance data and celebrity gossip, discover the lighter side of retail tren...

Strategic partnerships are reshaping retail! In this segment from the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Infios, Clear Demand, and Ocampo Capital, Chris and Anne explore Macy's new partnership with Abercrombie Kids for back-to-school season. With 3x the distribution for Abercrombie and a traffic driver for Macy's, this partnership could s...

She's back! In this segment from the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Infios, Clear Demand, and Ocampo Capital, Chris and Anne dive into Ty Haney's dramatic return to Outdoor Voices with a "confident, bold, and sexy" rebrand. From wiping Instagram clean to positioning the brand as the "uniform for doing things," is this founder comeback...

The home goods giant is back! In this segment from the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Infios, Clear Demand, and Ocampo Capital, Chris and Anne analyze Bed Bath & Beyond's return to Brick x Mortar retail, complete with their iconic coupons. But is nostalgia enough to succeed in today's crowded home furnishing market? Hear why Chris...

Fashion meets artificial intelligence in the most controversial way possible! This segment from the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Infios, Clear Demand, and Ocampo Capital, explores the backlash Vogue faced for featuring AI-generated models in a Guess advertisement. Chris and Anne debate whether critics need to "take a chill pill" or...

Walmart is revolutionizing retail AI with their new "super agent" strategy! In this segment from the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Infios, Clear Demand, and Ocampo Capital, Chris and Anne dive deep into how Walmart is consolidating dozens of AI agents into four specialized "super agents" for customers, employees, engineers, and suppl...

Meet Molly LaForest, whose father named a grape company after her when she was 12, and who's now disrupting the produce industry with Molly Pop - a brand creating 100% natural cold-pressed juices. Discover how they're pushing cross-merchandising in grocery stores by pairing specialty grapes with matching juices, and why their beet-cucumber blend is the fan favorite that's changing how grocery stor...

Meet Christina Melillo, VP of Merchandising at Buehler's Fresh Foods, who started bagging groceries at 16 and worked her way up over 36 years. Discover how this Northeast Ohio ESOP chain competes with big box stores through local farmer partnerships, Amish auctions, and adapting to major trends like the protein boom driven by GLP-1 medications and preventative health focus. 🕒 TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - C...

Meet Marty Reeser, Senior Director of Customer Success at Simbe, who shares his journey from Whole Foods executive to robotics pioneer. Discover how Tally robots are delivering 90% price accuracy improvement and 2% sales increases, plus learn about the change management required to successfully implement retail automation. 🕒 TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Marty's career path from Whole Foods to Simbe robotic...

Meet Loren Foss, VP of Strategy at CMI Orchards, who reveals how this Washington state fruit company became the world's first carbon negative fruit producer. Discover their revolutionary 8-acre worm farms and regenerative cattle ranch that sequester enough carbon to offset 60,000 cars annually. Plus learn about exciting new fruit varieties like their upcoming new apple variety. 🕒 TIMESTAMPS: 0:00...

Meet Amy Davis, VP of Industry Relations at Kellanova, who reveals how the snack giant is responding to major consumer trends from GLP-1 medications to Gen Z's spicy flavor obsession. Discover why they renamed "stuffed" Eggo products to "protein pancakes," how Hot Ones Pringles target younger consumers, and the innovative breakfast charcuterie boards that are redefining snack occasions. 🕒 TIMESTA...

Meet Josh Kuhbander, VP of Neighborhood Fresh, an employee-owned (ESOP) grocery chain in northern Indiana that made a bold move by eliminating print ads in 2024. Discover how they're achieving an impressive 86% loyalty program participation rate through customer service, meat cutters, baggers, and strategic digital engagement while competing against big box retailers. 🕒 TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Josh's...

Join us for an exclusive interview with Amy McClellan, newly appointed Chief Commercial Officer at SpartanNash, as she shares her journey from part-time cashier to Fortune 500 executive. Discover how SpartanNash is putting shoppers at the center of every commercial decision, leveraging technology partnerships with Simbe and serving diverse customers from independent grocers to military commissarie...

Join us for an exclusive interview with Caitlin Allen, SVP of Market at Simbe, as she reveals how retail inefficiencies are costing grocers up to 5.5% of sales annually. Discover how Simbe's inventory robots and computer vision technology are helping independent grocers compete with e-commerce giants. 🕒 TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Women in retail panel insights 1:57 - Caitlin's background and Simbi introd...

Meet Ben and Kerri Dishman, founders of Fresh Foods, who turned a $1 abandoned grocery store opportunity into a thriving 10-location chain across three states. Discover how they're serving rural communities, investing in technology like electronic shelf labels, and creating a family-friendly workplace culture that keeps employees and customers loyal. 🕒 TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - How Ben and Kerri met and...

Join us at the SpartanNash Conference as we interview Doug Highland, GM of Leevers Foods, about their approach to retail technology and workforce development. From electronic shelf labels to digital advertising, discover how this third-generation North Dakota grocer is modernizing while maintaining their community focus. 🕒 TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Doug's retail background and career journey 1:08 - Abou...

Meet Sean Gerard, Regional Sales Manager for Clemens Food Group, who turned his food marketing degree from Western Michigan University into a career selling every pork product imaginable. Discover how this sixth-generation, vertically coordinated family business approaches food safety, follows restaurant trends like carnitas, and positions pork as a versatile, value-driven protein in today's marke...

Meet Erin Storm, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer at SpartanNash, as she shares insights from her transition from 18 years at Kellogg/Kellanova to leading marketing for 200+ grocery stores and more. Discover how SpartanNash approaches banner differentiation, building retail media networks, and adapting to emerging food trends like GLP-1 driven demand. 🕒 TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Erin's CPG background at...

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 , Chris and Anne discussed: Walmart’s overhaul of its AI agent strategy, consolidating dozens of agents into four “super agents” for different user groups ( Source ) Vogue magazine’s AI model backlash after fe...

Returns are no longer just a cost center - they're a $1 trillion opportunity waiting to be unlocked. In this episode of Omni Talk's Ask An Expert series, hosts Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga sit down with David Morin, VP of Customer Strategy at Narvar, to reveal how leading retailers are transforming their returns operations from a liability into a competitive advantage. David shares exclusive dat...

This week on the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five podcast, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Clear Demand, Chris and Anne tackle rapid-fire retail topics in their signature Lightning Round. From influencer marketing apps to airline policy changes and restaurant relocations, get quick takes on the week's most interesting retail and consumer sto...

Target price matching policy, retail pricing strategy, target vs walmart, competitive pricing retail, target brand perception, retail customer loyalty, pricing policy changes, target strategic decisions, retail price wars, customer value proposition. This week on the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five podcast, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and C...

This week on the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five podcast, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Clear Demand, we explore Tesco's groundbreaking 8-week advance delivery scheduling. Chris and Anne discuss how this UK innovation could transform grocery shopping in the US, enabling better family planning and operational efficiency. Learn why extended...