Serious and Sometimes Comic Musings on the Future of Retail
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Amazon tests one-hour Rush pickup while Instacart’s AI pricing draws fire and November grocery sales shatter records at $12.3 billion. Chris and Anne close out 2025 with bold predictions on agentic commerce, Target’s SoHo experiment, and what AWS’s David Dorf sees coming in 2026.
David Dorf from AWS cuts through the AI noise to reveal what’s actually worth your attention in 2026. From domain-specific models replacing frontier fantasies to shopping agents starting with your grocery delivery. If you’re tired of hype and want to know where retail AI is really heading, this conversation delivers the clarity you need.
Which RFID solution is right for your retail stores: handheld scanners or overhead readers? GreyOrange’s Madalynn Lauria and Pareiya Gupta debate the pros, cons, and ROI of each approach in this must-watch retail technology showdown that reveals why the future might be hybrid.
Chris, Anne, and Chad Lusk hand out the 2025 Omni Awards, recognizing retail’s biggest winners from Doug McMillon’s transformative Walmart tenure to Aldi’s aggressive expansion, while calling out overhyped agentic AI and predicting 2026’s seismic shifts. From laughable Starbucks strategies to Gap’s cultural comeback, it’s a comprehensive year-end review of what really mattered in retail.
Troy Siwek of GreyOrange explains how digital twins and AI are transforming store operations from reactive to responsive, using unified platforms that connect RFID, computer vision, and real-time inventory data. Drawing from 40,000+ deployments, this episode explores how retailers can cut through technology hype, accelerate decision-making processes, and build digitization strategies that actually help store associates perform better.
What happens when you connect trillions of physical items to AI-powered intelligence using battery-free sensors? Wiliot’s Doron Hazan reveals how physical AI is creating self-aware retail operations that improve everything from freshness to fulfillment—without customers ever noticing the technology.
Walmart discovered millions of businesses were already shopping their stores—so they built an entire B2B platform to serve them better. Ashley Hubka, SVP of Walmart Business, reveals the business-specific tools and omnichannel capabilities that are transforming how organizations purchase everything from coffee cups to marketing materials.
Black Friday shattered records with $11.8 billion in online sales, but are AI shopping agents really changing consumer behavior or just amplifying search? Chris and Anne question the hype around ChatGPT’s shopping research, debate Walmart’s smart ad play in Sparky, push back on smart glasses predictions for 2026, and analyze Amazon’s defensive 30-minute delivery test… plus Lightning Round hot takes on advent calendars and Mariah Carey’s $60 million holiday anthem.
Target stumbles while competitors surge, Kroger abandons automation with a $2.6 billion write-off, and Gap’s viral marketing pays off with 7% sales growth. Chris and Anne debate whether Target’s ChatGPT shopping launch is innovation or desperation, plus Bath & Body Works heads to Amazon to fight gray market sales.
Most computer vision systems show you problems—SymphonyAI tells you exactly which ones to fix first. Discover how retailers are achieving 25% productivity gains and 5-7% better shelf availability using cameras they already own.
Despite 8-10% out-of-stock rates costing retailers billions, most still don’t understand why their shelves are empty. Join supply chain veterans Richard Stewart and Eugene Amigud as they expose the real culprits, from phantom inventory to system connectivity failures, and reveal the centralized AI-driven approach that’s actually working.
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon announces retirement after transforming the company’s market value by $576 billion, with John Furner set to take over in February 2025. Plus: Grocery Dealz partners with Instacart, Primark embraces BNPL, Google unveils AI shopping features, and Target launches an exclusive Starbucks holiday beverage as consumer spending sentiment remains cautiously optimistic heading into the holidays.
Consumers say they’ll spend more in the next six months, but don’t mistake this for optimism—it’s inflation expectations driving the numbers while shoppers trade down to cheaper brands and lower-price stores. Chad Lusk from A&M Consumer and Retail Group breaks down the consumer sentiment data that’s reshaping retail strategy and reveals why private label brands are permanently changing shopping behavior.
Ethan Chernofsky from Placer.ai breaks down 2025’s biggest retail lesson: consumers are shifting from convenience to brands that have a clear purpose and identity. Using fresh location analytics, this episode digs into the widening split between value and luxury retail, the decline of the middle market, the rise of suburban opportunities, and the unexpected comebacks of legacy names like Barnes & Noble and Bed Bath & Beyond.
Generative AI has hit a major inflection point in retail, with AI-driven traffic now converting 16% better than traditional channels as Amazon battles Perplexity over the future of shopping agents. From scent marketing at Grand Central Station to Dollar General’s new AI executive, discover the trends reshaping how consumers shop and retailers compete.
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. Know More →
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