Hello Omni Talk Fans! This week’s Fast Five podcast featured not one, but TWO incredible guests from Alvarez & Marsal, and Anne also returned from her winter vacation.
Our latest episode features Ken Cochran and Jon Malankar from the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, who brought their “operator-like pragmatism” and some seriously spicy takes on the week’s fun-filled retail headlines.
Here’s a quick summary taste of everything the four of us discussed:
- Amazon’s double shutdown — Palm payments are dead, and all 72 Amazon Go and Fresh stores are closing, too. Ken and John debated which is the bigger headline and what it all means for the future of grocery tech.
- 19% grocery e-commerce penetration — December 2025 set records, and Ken warned regional grocers with the quote of the show: “You can’t just be the raspberry pickup point.”
- Walmart Exports vs. Amazon FBA — Walmart’s new cross-border shipping program received unanimous approval (what a shock!).
- eBay banning AI shopping bots — Is this the right move for a marketplace? Jon dropped a Ticketmaster analogy that’ll make you think twice about bot buying.
- BJ’s second small format store — Four years after the first one, BJ’s is testing Delray Beach, Florida. Jon thought the format has “limited potential,” but I may just disagree.
There’s all that, plus Ken reveals his discriminating culinary palate and love for Taco Bell and Jon shares his favorite Kelly Clarkson song.
Listen to This Week’s Fast Five Podcast
Be careful out there,
— Chris, Anne, and the entire Omni Talk team
P.S. Studies show that cows produce more milk when farmers talk to them.
It’s a case of in one ear and out the udder.
Omni Talk® is the retail blog for retailers, written by retailers. Chris Walton founded Omni Talk® in 2017 and have quickly turned it into one of the fastest growing blogs in retail.