Chris and Anne close out 2025 with their annual awards show, joined by Chad Lusk of the A&M Consumer and Retail Group to hand out the Omni Awards recognizing the year’s retail standouts, strategic blunders, and emerging trends. From transformative CEO exits to overhyped technologies and bold partnerships, it’s a comprehensive look back at what shaped retail in 2025, brought to you by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso:
• 00:06:06 – Retailer of the Year: Aldi’s expansion vs. Walmart’s dominance vs. Costco’s resilience
• 00:12:21 – Headline of the Year: Doug McMillon retirement and agentic AI integration
• 00:18:12 – Technology of the Year: Electronic shelf labels (ESL) and operational AI
• 00:24:48 – CEO of the Year: Doug McMillon’s transformative Walmart decade
• 00:32:34 – Most Overhyped Tech: Why agentic AI commerce needs a reality check
• 00:39:39 – Best Movie Material: Shein in Paris controversy and terrifying robot servants
• 00:43:44 – Best Strategic Turnaround: Macy’s focus and Gap’s cultural comeback
• 00:48:55 – Best Partnership: Walmart’s luxury resale and IKEA’s Best Buy kitchens
• 00:53:23 – Most Laughable Headline: Starbucks blames mobile pickup for lost “warmth”
• 00:56:42 – 2026 Predictions: OpenAI payment platforms and agent commerce explosion
Tune in for sharp analysis, industry debates, and predictions that will shape retail’s next chapter.
Be careful out there,
– Chris, Anne, and the Omni Talk team
P.S. Be sure to check out all our other podcasts from the past week here, too: https://omnitalk.blog/category/podcast/
P.P.S. Also be sure to check out our podcast rankings on Apple Podcasts and on Feedspot
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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.