Hello Omni Talk Fans! My co-pilot for this week’s Fast Five podcast needs no introduction. Shelley Huff, former Serta Simmons Bedding CEO and Walmart exec, and now CEO and co-founder of The Interval, was back for her fourth trip in the chair. She’s basically got the Five-Timers jacket coming (or is it a hoodie and a baseball cap in keeping with my style?).
Either way, Shelley and I didn’t mince words on anything, particularly around marketplaces, TikTok Shop, and Amazon. This may just be our most bold episode yet.
Here’s a taste of what Shelley and I covered on this week’s podcast:
- Amazon’s One-Off Labor Day Grocery Storefront — Shelley makes the case this is 100% defensive, and I couldn’t agree more. But I also think it’s offensive too. Wait, come again?
- Ulta’s License Plate Reader Backlash — The internet is mad, Ulta and Flock aren’t talking, and Shelley and I dig into where “organized retail crime tool” ends and “surveillance overreach” begins.
- Costco Quietly Shutting Down Costco Next — Nearly a decade of member perks, gone with zero warning, and we ask the bigger question, with bigger implications: should any club retailer even have a marketplace?
- Sephora’s TikTok Shop Play — Shelley drops one of my favorite lines of the year: “The next generation of great brands won’t just have customers, they’ll have communities.” And Sephora’s betting big on it.
- Sprouts Naming My Good Buddy Nick Konat CEO — Shelley and I talk succession planning and why this is one of the good CEO jobs to land right now.
There’s all that, plus Producer Ella debuts her new segment, Producer Ella’s Product Picks, Shelley gives us her One Wish Willow after watching Obsession, and Shelley and I both say whether we are Team Jeannie or Team Samantha, and you’ll just have to listen to find what that means!
Listen to This Week’s Fast Five Podcast
Be careful out there,
— Chris and the entire Omni Talk team
P.S. Speaking of obsessions, people said I’d never get over my obsession with Phil Collins.
But take a look at me now.
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.