Omni Talk Retail

In this Omni Talk Retail episode, recorded live at Retail Technology Show 2026 in London from the Vusion podcast studio, Chris Walton caught up with Giles Smith, retail technology consultant and advisor, to unpack how retailers should actually be thinking about AI right now. Drawing on experience across brands like Burberry, Selfridges, and Unilever, Giles shares a grounded perspective on why AI i...

In this Omni Talk Retail episode, recorded live at Retail Technology Show 2026 in London from the Vusion podcast studio, Chris Walton catches up with with Iain Robertson, Chief Operating and Innovation Officer at Fortnum & Mason, to discuss how one of the world’s most iconic heritage retailers is approaching innovation while staying deeply rooted in human experience. Iain shares how Fortnum &a...

What does it really take to build and sustain a successful retail business over 50+ years? Live from Retail Technology Show 2026 in London, Chris Walton welcomes Touker Suleyman, Dragon’s Den investor and retail veteran, to break down the fundamentals that still matter most in today’s rapidly evolving retail landscape. Touker shares why brand, product, customer service, and cash flow remain the fo...

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by Duvo and Mirakl . In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses: Best Buy CEO Corie Barry announces she will step down on October 31st, with Jason Bonfig, the company's Chief Customer, Product and Fulfillment Officer, named as her successor amid years of stagnating revenue and earnings. Dick's Sporting Goods partners wit...

Luxury retail is not about faster conversion. It is about deeper connection. At Retail Technology Show 2026 in London, Chris Walton sits down with Will Lockie, Global Digital Director at Noble Panacea, to explore how luxury brands approach digital differently, from storytelling and discovery to personalization and AI. Will shares why high-consideration products require more investment in education...

There is no version of modern retail where ESG, sourcing, and quality operate separately anymore. Live from Retail Technology Show 2026 in London, Chris Walton sits down with Sophie Rycroft, Group ESG, Sourcing & Quality Director at Debenhams Group, to discuss how one of the UK’s largest digital retail groups is aligning sustainability, supply chain transparency, and product quality into a sin...

How do you build a retail brand around one of the most emotional, time-sensitive moments in a customer’s life? Live from Retail Technology Show 2026 in London, Chris Walton connects with Sarah Ashby, Interim CEO & COO of Mamas & Papas, to discuss how the brand is redefining the parenting retail journey through service, timing, and trust. Sarah explains why winning the first-time parent is...

Live from Retail Technology Show 2026 in London, Omni Talk Retail’s Chris Walton sits down with Katya Denike, Chief Product Officer at Holland & Barrett, to discuss how one of Europe’s leading wellness retailers is using technology, product thinking, and AI to transform the customer experience. Katya shares why Holland & Barrett brought its mobile app in-house, how it grew from a strugglin...

How do you deliver world-class luxury service to millions of annual visitors while preserving exclusivity, personalization, and the magic of in-store retail? Live from Retail Technology Show 2026 in London, Chris Walton sits down with Mark Blundell, Chief Retail Officer at Harrods, to discuss how one of the world’s most iconic retailers continues to set the standard for customer experience, servic...

How do you scale a luxury brand without losing what made customers love it in the first place? Live from Retail Technology Show 2026 in London, Chris Walton sits down with Sebastian Picardo, CEO of Monica Vinader, to discuss the future of modern luxury retail. Sebastian shares lessons from leadership roles at Alexander McQueen, Net-a-Porter, and Burberry, plus what it takes to grow Monica Vinader...

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, recorded live from London and sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group , Mirakl , Ocampo Capital , Infios , Quorso and Veloq , Chris Walton and special guest Ben Miller of Shoptalk discussed: Walmart expanding its Better Care platform into GLP-1 weight management, connecting pharmacy, telehealth, nutrition, and same-day delivery into one ecosyst...

In this Omni Talk Retail episode, recorded live at Retail Technology Show 2026 in London from the Vusion podcast studio, Chris Walton sits down with Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, to discuss the biggest policy and economic forces shaping UK retail today. Helen explains how the BRC is helping retailers navigate inflationary pressure tied to global supply chain di...

How do you run a global fashion marketplace serving 18 million active customers across 200 markets while keeping assortment fresh, fulfillment fast, and brand partnerships strong? Live from Retail Technology Show 2026 in London, Chris Walton sits down with Shazmeen Malik, Partner Brands and Flexible Fulfillment Director at ASOS, to discuss how ASOS is evolving its marketplace model through smarter...

In this Omni Talk Retail episode, recorded live at Retail Technology Show 2026 in London from the Vusion podcast studio, Chris Walton sits down with Jamie Kristow, CEO of Cotswold Outdoor Group, to discuss how the company is modernizing specialty outdoor retail through service, store innovation, and retail media. Jamie shares how Cotswold Outdoor is leveraging its expertise-led store model to help...

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by Duvo and Mirakl . In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses: California's AG releases unredacted documents alleging Amazon strong-armed brands like Levi's and Hanes into pressuring Walmart, Target, and others to raise prices, adding fuel to a multi-front antitrust battle heading to trial in 2027. Party City makes a s...

In this Retail Technology Spotlight episode, Armen Mkrtchyan, CEO and co-founder of Extuitive, joins Omni Talk to tackle one of the oldest problems in advertising and to show how AI is finally cracking it. John Wanamaker famously said, "Half of my ads don't work. I just don't know which half." Nearly 200 years later, that problem hasn't gone away. It's actually gotten worse. Armen breaks down how...

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by Duvo and Mirakl . In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses: Walmart is piloting store-based fulfillment of third-party marketplace orders in Dallas, using AI to route shipments and cut delivery windows from one to two days down to as little as three hours. Home Depot is exploring a $157 million, 414,000-square-foot...

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by Duvo and Mirakl . In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses: Walmart expands its Better Care Services platform with five new virtual care and nutrition partners, positioning itself to own the full GLP-1 customer journey, across its nearly 4,600-pharmacy footprint. Aldi pilots a new globally unified, modularly adaptab...

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five Lightning Round segment closes out the show with rapid-fire questions on pop culture, personal stories, and unexpected hot takes. Chris Walton, Jennifer Meyers, and John Benson debate Team Alex Cooper vs. Team Alex Earle, share strange DoorDash experiences, discuss the Little House on the Prairie reboot, and weigh in on the Boston Marathon. ⏩ Tune in for the full e...

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment explores reports that Old Navy may launch a new standalone concept called Old Navy Sport focused on affordable activewear. Chris Walton, Jennifer Meyers, and John Benson debate whether Old Navy can carve out space in the crowded athleisure market and if Gap Inc. can balance Old Navy Sport with Athleta. ⏩ Tune in for the full episode here. #OldNavy #GapInc #...

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment explores Dollar General’s rollout of AI-powered in-store audio advertising to thousands of locations nationwide. Chris Walton, Jennifer Meyers, and John Benson discuss whether in-store audio could become the next major retail media channel or simply annoy shoppers. They also examine how AI is changing the way retailers monetize store traffic. ⏩ Tune in for...

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment explores Burger King’s nationwide hiring push and the momentum behind its Reclaim the Flame turnaround plan. Chris Walton, Jennifer Meyers, and John Benson discuss how leadership, remodels, operational upgrades, and franchise investments are helping Burger King regain relevance in the competitive QSR market. ⏩ Tune in for the full episode here. #BurgerKing...

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment explores Starbucks’ latest turnaround moves, including new store designs, employee bonuses, expanded tipping, and weekly pay. Chris Walton, Jennifer Meyers, and John Benson analyze whether Starbucks is successfully restoring its brand while balancing café culture, mobile ordering, and drive-thru convenience. They also debate if happier employees can lead to...

This Omni Talk Retail Fast Five segment explores Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s latest shareholder letter and how the company is evolving beyond ecommerce into an AI and infrastructure powerhouse. Chris Walton, Jennifer Meyers, and John Benson discuss Amazon’s bets on robotics, logistics, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence while debating whether Amazon should still be considered a retailer at a...

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by Duvo and Mirakl . In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses: Walmart announces a sweeping redesign of its Great Value private label brand, refreshing packaging across nearly 10,000 items for the first time in over a decade, starting with salty snacks. Albertsons posts anemic Q4 comps of under 1% and a $480 million ne...