Hello Omni Talk Fans! Day 2 of NRF is now in the books. All told, we conducted nine more interviews yesterday. My voice is definitely starting to hurt but, rest assured, it is nothing a good night out in Manhattan can’t solve (or make significantly worse).
In today’s Retail Daily Minute:
- GameStop kicks off 2026 by closing over 430 stores across 42 states as CEO Ryan Cohen races toward a potential $35 billion stock option payday tied to hitting a $100 billion market cap.
- Walmart and Wing announce plans to scale drone delivery operations to 270 stores by 2027, reaching over 40 million potential customers in major metros including Los Angeles, Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Miami.
- Aldi celebrates 50 years in the U.S. by unveiling plans to open 180-plus stores across 31 states in 2026, enter Maine and Colorado, and launch a redesigned e-commerce platform at Aldi.us.
Plus, a quote from a film that always reminds of NYC.
👇 Listen now
Today’s Top Headlines
1. GameStop Accelerates Store Closure Strategy Across United States
GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen stands to earn $35 billion in stock options if the company reaches a $100 billion market cap. To cut costs, GameStop closed 590 stores in fiscal 2024 and plans to shutter 435+ stores in January 2025 alone, leaving thousands of employees unemployed while exiting international markets. (Read More)
2. Walmart Wing Drone Delivery Expands to 150 New Stores
Walmart is expanding drone delivery to 150 additional stores through its Wing partnership, reaching 270 total locations by 2027. The service will cover 10% of Americans (40 million people) in cities like Los Angeles, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Miami. Walmart has completed over 150,000 drone deliveries since launch. (Read More)
3. Aldi Plans to Open 180 New Stores Across 31 States in 2026
Aldi plans to open 180+ stores across 31 states in 2026, entering Maine and Colorado while expanding in Phoenix and Las Vegas. The discount grocer will add three distribution centers and launch new website Aldi.us as part of a $9 billion five-year investment to reach 3,200 stores nationwide by 2028. (Read More)
4. Amazon Pharmacy Now Offers Wegovy Weight-Loss Pill
Amazon Pharmacy now offers Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy weight-loss pill for $25 monthly with commercial insurance or $149 without. The oral medication, FDA-approved in December, contains the same active ingredient as injectable Wegovy and Ozempic. It’s also available at CVS, Costco, and through telehealth providers, targeting cash-paying consumers. (Read More)
5. Wiliot Launches Battery-Free IoT Pixel for Supply Chains
Wiliot launches Gen3 IoT Pixel, battery-free sensing technology providing real-time data on location, temperature, humidity, and movement for supply chains. The postage-stamp-sized device works with Wiliot Intelligence Platform to enable automated cycle counting, receiving, shipment verification, asset tracking, and condition monitoring for retailers and logistics providers. (Read More)
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Be careful out there,
— 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.