Hello Omni Talk Fans! I want to take a second to put Amazon’s $50 billion investment into OpenAI into perspective. $50 billion is more than the total market cap of Target, which stands just below $48 billion.
Crazy!
In today’s Retail Daily Minute:
- Sprouts Farmers Market opens its first New York location in Centereach on Long Island.
- Costco and Instacart expand their partnership into Europe, launching same-day delivery websites in France and Spain powered by Instacart’s Storefront Pro technology.
- Amazon CEO Andy Jassy leads negotiations to invest up to $50 billion in OpenAI.
Plus, a quote from a film that is about as Long Island as they come.
👇 Listen now
Today’s Top Headlines
1. Sprouts Farmers Market Makes Debut in New York
Sprouts Farmers Market opened its first New York store in Centereach, Long Island on January 30, marking a significant expansion milestone. The natural and organic grocer is launching multiple locations in Q1 2025, including stores in Virginia, Texas, and Florida. The Phoenix-based company now operates over 450 stores across 24 states nationwide. (Read More)
2. Costco Expands European Delivery with Instacart Partnership
Costco and Instacart expanded their North American partnership into Europe, launching same-day delivery websites in France and Spain. Powered by Instacart’s Storefront Pro platform, the service covers all Costco locations in both countries, offering members same-as-in-store pricing with flat service fees and convenient same-day fulfillment options. (Read More)
3. Amazon Plans Historic $50 Billion Investment in OpenAI
Amazon is in talks to invest up to $50 billion in OpenAI, marking a major bet on the AI startup. The ChatGPT maker is seeking up to $100 billion in new capital from investors in a funding round that could value the company at approximately $830 billion, representing significant tech industry momentum and unprecedented growth potential.(Read More)
4. Grocery E-Commerce Dominates with Record 2025 Growth
Grocery e-commerce reached record highs in 2025, with December sales hitting $12.7 billion, up 32% year-over-year. Online grocery now represents 19% of total spending, driven by structural shopping behavior shifts. Regional grocers face intensifying competition from Walmart and Amazon’s expanding same-day delivery service across 2,300 U.S. markets. (Read More)
5. Iconic Eddie Bauer Closing 200 Stores in Bankruptcy
Eddie Bauer is reportedly preparing to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy to close approximately 200 North American stores. The 106-year-old outdoor apparel brand’s store operations are owned by Catalyst Brands under license from Authentic Brands Group. The bankruptcy filing would not affect Eddie Bauer’s manufacturing, e-commerce, and wholesale operations. (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.