Hello Omni Talk Fans! In today’s newsletter, we have not one but two Amazon headlines, and Welshman Stewart Samuel (aka the Director of Retail Futures at IGD) joins Brit Ben Miller for the latest episode of GrocerTalk.
Together the two of them unpack everything from the increasingly polarized US consumer to Aldi’s e-commerce economics, and all in much more intellectually sounding accents than yours truly up here in Minnesota could ever bring to the table.
You can give it a listen here or below.
In today’s Retail Daily Minute:
- The FTC and 22 states sue Amazon, alleging it secretly inflated ad auction prices for advertisers over seven-plus years.
- YouTube adds Amazon as an affiliate partner in YouTube Shopping, letting creators tag Amazon products in videos.
- Home Depot expands its Magic Apron AI assistant with localized store knowledge across all 2,000+ U.S. locations.
Plus, a movie quote from another famous Welshman.
👇 Listen now
Today’s Top Headlines
1. Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over Hidden Search Ad Auction Surcharge
The FTC and 22 state attorneys general have sued Amazon, alleging it secretly inflated search ad auction prices for more than seven years through a hidden surcharge added in 2019. The suit says more than 1 million brands were affected, with steeper hikes during Prime Day. Amazon says the FTC misunderstands its ad business. (Read More)
2. YouTube Taps Amazon as Its Newest Shopping Affiliate Partner
YouTube has added Amazon as an affiliate partner in YouTube Shopping, letting eligible U.S. creators tag Amazon products in Shorts, videos and livestreams and earn commissions on sales. YouTube Shopping’s gross merchandise volume grew 13-fold from Q1 2024 to Q1 2026, and more than 1 million creators have joined so far. (Read More)
3. Home Depot Expands Magic Apron AI to All 2,000-Plus US Stores
The Home Depot has expanded its AI shopping assistant, Magic Apron, with localized store knowledge across all 2,000-plus U.S. locations. Shoppers can now use text, voice or image queries to find items by aisle, check availability, ask product questions and get project advice via Store Mode in the app or in-store QR codes. (Read More)
4. Kohl’s Names a Walmart Fashion Alum as Its New Chief Merchant
Kohl’s has named former Walmart fashion executive Ryan Waymire as chief merchandising officer, replacing Nick Jones. Waymire, who has also held merchandising roles at Wayfair, FabFitFun, Amazon and Target, starts Sept. 28 and will report to CEO Michael Bender, overseeing buying, product design, sourcing and allocation. (Read More)
5. H&M Tracks Store Inventory in Real Time With RFID and AI
H&M Group is rolling out GreyOrange’s AI-based gStore inventory platform across hundreds of stores globally, using RFID readers and smart mirrors to locate items to within three to five feet. The real-time inventory heat map speeds up shelf replenishment and item lookups, building on GreyOrange robotics in H&M’s warehouses. (Read More)
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Be careful out there,
— Chris and the entire Omni Talk team
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.