Hello Omni Talk Fans! This week’s Fast Five podcast is coming at you from FMI in the city Ron Burgundy made famous, San Diego!
Anne and I are about ready to gear up and conduct 14 interviews over the next two days, so stay close to our LinkedIn and YouTube feeds to stay up on all the action. And, for all you devoted daily newsletter fans, we will also distribute them all out to you on Monday.
In this week’s Fast Five Podcast, Anne and I unpacked:
- ChatGPT testing ads — After Chad Lusk predicted this on our year-end show, OpenAI rolled out advertising in just ONE MONTH. We debate whether consumers will care, what the UI looks like, and if Google should be worried (Anne’s still bullish on Google).
- Walmart’s upscale home play — $1,600 DeLonghi espresso machines? Ochre velvet swivel chairs? Lavender crockpots? Walmart’s going after Amazon’s 20% furniture market share with style. I had Target flashbacks, and we both agree: price always wins in the search game.
- Kroger goes all-in on delivery platforms — Now on Uber, DoorDash, AND Instacart. Smart short-term play or a road to nowhere when Amazon and Walmart are crushing it? We have thoughts.
- Fanatics vs. Gap: Entertainment showdown — Fanatics launches a content studio for sports, while Gap creates a Chief Entertainment Officer role and opens an LA office on Sunset Boulevard. We crown a winner, and it’s not even close.
- Simbe’s Tally 4.0 is here — Near full store coverage including produce and freezers, 12-hour runtime, and Nvidia AI.
There’s all that, plus I discuss what may be the most legendary high school graduation speech story you have ever heard.
Listen to This Week’s Fast Five Podcast
Be careful out there,
— Chris, Anne, and the entire Omni Talk team
P.S. I really love the word “plethora.”
It means a lot to me.
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.