Hello Omni Talk Fans! “Anything you can do I can do better,” Amazon said to Walmart yesterday. Or is it Costco? Who the heck knows?
In today’s Retail Daily Minute:
- Amazon plans a massive 225,000-square-foot store near Chicago combining groceries and general merchandise, directly challenging Walmart’s supercenter dominance.
- TGI Fridays unveils its “1-2-3 Strategic Vision” targeting $2 billion in revenue and 1,000+ restaurants by 2030, just months after emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
- J.C. Penney posts a 3.8% sales decline and widening losses, but shows promising signs with improved traffic, loyalty growth, and celebrity partnerships gaining traction.
Plus, our NRF Day 3 interviews and a quote from a film in which Mel Gibson gets trapped in a big box.
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Today’s Top Headlines
1. Amazon Plans First Big-Box Store in Illinois Near Chicago
Amazon plans a nearly 225,000-square-foot big-box retail store in Orland Park, Illinois, offering groceries and general merchandise. The first-of-its-kind concept, comparable to Walmart supercenters, will be located next to Costco. Approved by the Planning Commission, it awaits village board approval, promising broad selection and low prices. (Read More)
2. TGI Fridays Unveils Strategic Vision for $2 Billion Growth
TGI Fridays unveiled its “1-2-3 Strategic Vision” turnaround plan targeting $2 billion revenue and 1,000+ restaurants by 2030. Currently with $1.4 billion in sales and 380+ locations globally, the strategy focuses on brand activation, flexible growth formats, franchise support, and people investment following November 2024 bankruptcy filing. (Read More)
3. J.C. Penney Reports Q3 Sales Decline Despite Traffic Gains
J.C. Penney’s Q3 net sales fell 3.8% to $1.36 billion, with net loss widening 488% to $100 million. However, nine-month adjusted EBITDA rose to $172 million from $66 million. The retailer saw 18 consecutive months of trip frequency improvement, 20% loyalty customer growth, and strong performance in beauty, jewelry, and home. (Read More)
4. Bipartisan Senators Reintroduce Credit Card Competition Act
Senators Marshall and Durbin reintroduced the Credit Card Competition Act, requiring banks with $100 billion+ assets to offer merchants a non-Visa/Mastercard payment network option. The bipartisan bill targets the duopoly controlling 85% of processing, with President Trump endorsing the measure to reduce interchange fees for businesses. (Read More)
5. Walmart Partners with Google on Gemini AI for Shopping
Walmart partnered with Google to integrate shopping into Gemini AI chatbot, allowing users to discover and purchase Walmart and Sam’s Club products. Launching first in the U.S., the initiative was announced by incoming CEO John Furner at NRF 2026, alongside Google’s new Universal Commerce Protocol for agentic commerce (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.