Podcast

Special Report | Digital Couponing and Media with DIGITS CEO David Glaza

June 12, 2020

Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga interview Third Haus member and former Target Carthweel Lead and now CEO/Founder of DIGITS, David Glaza. They discuss everything surrounding digital couponing, who the players are to watch in the space, what brands and retailers can be doing right now to stay on top of the trends and what the next few months hold for couponing platforms, both digital and also what you would find in your Sunday newspaper.

Fast Five | Walmart Threds UP and a Special Guest Appearance by Steve Dennis

May 29, 2020

In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five, sponsored by Takeoff and Trigo, Steve Dennis stops by to talk Gucci reframing the fashion calendar, while Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, Carter Jensen, and Emma the Intern discuss what Chris thinks is huge news surrounding Walmart and ThredUP, the team’s collective thumbs down on the new Yes app, Instagram making another smart move in the world of commerce, and a cool new technology in the grocery space called Flashfood.

Fast Five | Facebook Shops & The Great Amazon/JCP Debate

May 22, 2020

In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five podcast, sponsored by Takeoff and Trigo, Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, Carter Jensen, and Emma the Intern discuss Facebook Shops, dining booking platforms in retailing, Shopify’s new banking tools, Walmart and Target’s latest earnings releases, and hold one of the all-time great Fast Five debates on whether Amazon should purchase JCP. Chris says, “yes,” while Anne says, “No!”

Fast Five | Pepsi The Choice of a New COVID Generation?

May 15, 2020

In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five, sponsored by Trigo, Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, Carter Jensen, and Emma the Intern talk Pepsi getting its DTC game on with the launch of snacks.com, Shipt and Quotient putting the numerator over the denominator in the world of digital couponing, Target’s interesting acquisition of Deliv among other c-suite moves at Shipt, Lidl and text messaging, and something you may not know much about, “squad shopping.”

Fast Five | Walmart Express is Unanimously Tone Deaf

May 8, 2020

In the latest Omni Talk Fast Five podcast, sponsored by Trigo, Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, Carter Jensen, and Emma the Intern discuss an ill-timed delivery move by Walmart, the zany feud between JCP and Sephora, J.Crew filing for bankruptcy, a licensing move from Gap that will do absolutely nothing for the brand, and a story from Denny’s that left Chris changing his tune.

Special Report | A Conversation with Mark Ghermezian Co-CEO American Dream

May 7, 2020

Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga interview American Dream Co-CEO Mark Ghermezian to discuss his strategy for launching what he calls the country’s newest, not shopping mall, but “experience center.” Mark shares how he and the the American Dream team are preparing for re-opening in a post-COVID world, what role he thinks technology will play in the experience long-term, and how he plans to put data at the core of American Dream’s overall experience design.

Special Report | Safer Grocery Stores with Robomart CEO and Co-Founder Ali Ahmed

May 4, 2020

Omni Talk’s Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga sit down with Ali Ahmed, CEO and Co-Founder of Robomart to talk about how Ali’s company is using autonomous Robomarts to bring stores safely to customers.

Fast Five | Malls Are Reopening, But Shopify, Poshmark, & Others Show Where We’re Really Headed

May 1, 2020

In this week’s edition of the Omni Talk Fast Five, sponsored by Trigo, Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, Carter Jensen, and Emma the Intern discuss the plans to reopen malls, Shopify’s new consumer app, Poshmark getting into video commerce, the absurdity of VR retail, and close with a defense of Amazon.

Spotlight Series | Sam’s Club CEO Kath McLay & Her First 100 Days Amid COVID-19

April 30, 2020

Chris Walton sits down with Sam’s Club new CEO Kath McLay to discuss her observations and priorities after the first 100 days on the job and the baptism by fire that is COVID-19. She and Chris talk innovation, culture, and Kath even reveals a couple of the secrets that she believes (and we agree) make Sam’s Club one of the most innovative retailers in America.

Spotlight Series | Ka-Pop! Co-Founders and Insignia Pitch Slam Winners Dustin & Christina Finkel

April 29, 2020

Omni Talk’s Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga had the special pleasure of interviewing the 2020 Insignia Pitch Slam Winners, Dustin and Christina Finkel, Co-Founders of the snack brand, Ka-Pop! as part of their ongoing Spotlight Series.

Dustin and Christina share some vital lessons for young brands in this episode, from prepping an Amazon presence and e-commerce site in under 3 weeks for a Shark Tank pitch to how to get the most out of sampling and gathering consumer intel gathering on a budget. Congrats to Ka-Pop! snacks on the Insignia Pitch Slam win, and thanks to Insignia for their support of Omni Talk.

Also, viewers can get a discount on Ka-Pop! Snacks by going to KaPopSnacks.com and entering code OMNITALK.

Special Report: Chris Weaver Head of Brand Cotton On Kids

April 27, 2020

Chris Weaver, Head of Brand for Cotton On Kids, joins Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga and a live audience to discuss the impact COVID-19 has had on the apparel industry.

Chris walks the audience through the plans Cotton On has put in place to try and maintain customer satisfaction and manage inventory differently than they ever have before and also discusses some unique advantages his company has, like competing in two hemispheres, that set Cotton On apart.