Hello Omni Talk Fans! Ashley is the one brand in the furniture space that could probably pull of a straight agentic relationship with its consumers and recapture some of the value it has ceded to the likes of Wayfair and others over the years.
In today’s Retail Daily Minute:
- Ashley enables customers to shop and buy furniture through Perplexity’s AI search engine using PayPal.
- Kroger cancels its Charlotte CFC plans and closes its Nashville spoke facility, paying Ocado $350 million as it reverses course on its ambitious e-commerce automation project.
- Walgreens opens its 13th automated micro-fulfillment center in West Jordan, Utah, expanding a network that now supports over 5,000 stores and fulfills 18 million prescriptions monthly.
Plus, a movie quote from a famous fictional Ashley.
👇 Listen now
Today’s Top Headlines
1. Ashley Launches AI Shopping Through Perplexity Integration
Ashley furniture partners with Perplexity AI and PayPal to enable direct purchases through AI-powered conversations. Shoppers can browse, select, and buy products seamlessly. This reflects a growing trend of retailers integrating with AI platforms like Perplexity and ChatGPT to offer streamlined, conversational shopping experiences. (Read More)
2. Kroger Pays $350M to Reverse Ocado Automation Strategy
Kroger canceled plans for a Charlotte fulfillment center and is closing multiple Ocado-powered automated facilities, paying $350 million in compensation. The grocer is reversing its ambitious 2018 e-commerce automation strategy, instead shifting to store-based fulfillment and third-party delivery partnerships to improve online profitability, expected next year. (Read More)
3. Walgreens Opens 13th Automated Pharmacy Fulfillment Center
Walgreens opened a robotic micro-fulfillment center in West Jordan, Utah, supporting nearly 96 regional stores. This brings the total to 13 MFCs nationwide, serving over 5,000 stores and fulfilling approximately 18 million prescriptions monthly. The automated prescription dispensing program launched in 2021 to improve efficiency. (Read More)
4. Dollar Tree Boosts 2025 Forecast on Multi-Price Strategy Success
Dollar Tree raised its full-year 2025 outlook after Q3 net sales increased 9.4% to $4.7 billion, with same-store sales up 4.2%. The discount retailer converted 646 locations to its multi-price Dollar Tree 3.0 format and now projects annual sales of $19.35-$19.45 billion, with adjusted EPS ranging from $5.60-$5.80. (Read More)
5. Zara Owner Inditex Launches Bershka Stores in US
Inditex will open two Bershka stores in Miami in 2026, marking the youth brand’s first US brick-and-mortar presence after online success. The move expands Inditex’s footprint in its second-largest market, targeting younger shoppers beyond flagship Zara, which dominates revenues. CEO notes low US market share offers growth potential. (Read More)
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— Chris, Anne, and the entire Omni Talk team
Omni Talk® is the retail blog for retailers, written by retailers. Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga founded Omni Talk® in 2017 and have quickly turned it into one of the fastest growing blogs in retail.