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The Store of the Future is closer than you think, and it might not involve nearly as many screens, keyboards, or handheld devices as it does today. As retailers continue investing in AI and automation, one big question remains: What will the day-to-day experience actually look like for the employees working inside stores five to ten years from now?
In the latest Omni Talk Retail Ask An Expert Series, Chris Walton welcomes Matthew Mott, Director of Marketing at Zello, to explore the rise of the keyboardless store, the power of voice technology, and how AI-powered assistants could transform frontline retail operations. From keeping employees "eyes up" and focused on customers to identifying operational inefficiencies through everyday conversations, the two discuss what happens when technology starts working alongside store associates instead of getting in their way.
In this episode:
0:00 – What will the Store of the Future look like?2:41 – The rise of the keyboardless store and "eyes up" service7:54 – AI agents as the next generation of frontline coworkers10:03 – Why voice could become the interface of the future12:40 – AI as a sidekick and orchestrator for store associates17:07 – Turning customer "walk-away moments" into actionable insights22:55 – The future of AI-powered personalized shopping experiencesTo learn more about Zello and its frontline communication technology, visit zello.com
P.S. To see our full lineup of past Ask An Expert conversations, head here.
Music by hooksounds.com
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What happens to grocery loyalty when AI agents start making shopping decisions for consumers? In this edition of 5 Insightful Minutes, recorded live at Groceryshop 2026, Seb Hill, Chief Marketing Officer at TCC Global, joins Omni Talk's Ben Miller to explore how agentic AI could reshape grocery retailing, challenge traditional loyalty programs, and change what it really means to earn a shopper's loyalty.
Drawing on new research from TCC Global, Seb discusses what happens when AI agents begin prioritizing price, convenience, and efficiency over traditional retailer relationships. He and Ben examine whether loyalty programs, personalized offers, and existing metrics can keep up with this shift, why retailers need to look beyond transactions to understand genuine customer loyalty, and how grocery retailers can build stronger shopper relationships in an increasingly AI-driven world.
Key Topics Covered:
Why agentic AI could be the next major disruption in grocery retailWhat changes when AI agents begin making shopping decisions for consumersHow agentic commerce could challenge traditional grocery retail modelsWhat happens to loyalty programs, retailer apps, and personalized offersWhy traditional loyalty metrics may not reflect genuine shopper loyaltyHow retailers can better measure the strength of customer relationshipsWhy price and convenience may no longer be enough to drive loyaltyHow grocery loyalty needs to evolve in the age of AI agentsWhat TCC Global's latest grocery research reveals about the future of shopper relationshipsExplore TCC Global's research on agentic AI: https://www.tccglobal.com/insights/agenticai-1
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Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by ZenlineAI and Mirakl.
In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses:
TikTok launches an AI Shopping Assistant and one-click Buy Direct checkout, letting shoppers discover and buy without leaving the For You feed.FMI and the National Grocers Association urge the FTC to separate personalized pricing from loyalty offers, coupons, and electronic shelf labels.Tractor Supply opens its 11th distribution center in Nampa, Idaho, a $200 million-plus automated facility with a dedicated AI team.The Retail Daily Minute has been rocketing up the Feedspot charts, so stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail news.
In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Quorso, Veloq, and SmartScout, Chris Walton welcomes Richard McKenzie into the guest hosting chair. The former Ocado executive and Veloq CEO brings his retail expertise, UK perspective, and plenty of back-and-forth with Chris, "bringing this week’s show to an 11."
Chris and Richard dig into five of the biggest stories in retail this week, including:
• McDonald’s piloting third-party ads on digital drive-thru menu boards at 450 company-owned U.S. restaurants as part of a new McDonald’s Media Network that it hopes could eventually become a $1 billion advertising business. (Source)
• Marks & Spencer and Sephora teaming up to launch Sephora at M&S, a new beauty shop-in-shop concept coming to 100 M&S stores and M&S.com beginning in spring 2027. (Source)
• DoorDash expanding its retail Marketplace with Macy’s, Anthropologie, The North Face, Vans, and Timberland, while also launching Dasher Returns, a $7.99 service that lets shoppers have a Dasher pick up returns right from their door. (Source)
• Walmart rolling out Shop to Light, Pick to Light, and Stock to Light digital shelf label features companywide by the holiday season, using light-up labels to help both customers and associates find products faster. (Source)
• IKEA closing three of its small-format plan and order stores in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, including a Georgetown location that opened less than a year ago, as the retailer reevaluates its U.S. footprint. (Source)
The episode wraps with a lightning round covering the UK legacy of Chariots of Fire, IKEA furniture assembly fails, and plenty more Fast Five fun.
P.S. Be sure to check out all our other podcasts from the past week here, too: https://omnitalk.blog/category/podcast/
P.P.S. Also be sure to check out our podcast rankings on Feedspot.
Music by hooksounds.
Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by ZenlineAI and Mirakl.
In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses:
Uber agrees to acquire workplace catering platform ezCater in a $2.3 billion all-cash deal, adding $400-plus average orders to Uber Eats and Uber for Business.Walmart launches Ship with Walmart, giving Marketplace sellers Walmart-negotiated shipping rates and up to $100 in lost-item protection directly inside ShipStation.The Giant Company rolls out one-hour store tours and online classes for GLP-1 users at six Pennsylvania stores as weight-loss drugs reshape grocery baskets.The Retail Daily Minute has been rocketing up the Feedspot charts, so stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail news.
Chris Walton is back on GrocerTalk this week, joining Ben Miller for a show all about growth, loyalty and the changing grocery shopping experience. Sponsored by Instacart Enterprise, Portager, Vusion, and Sifter Solutions, they dig into Costco’s growth machine, Morrisons’ latest Click & Collect experiment, and a Kroger double-header on rewards and 24-hour stores.
Plus, TCC Global CMO Seb Hill joins for Five Insightful Minutes on loyalty in the age of agentic commerce.
This week, they discuss:
• Costco’s latest Q4 results, continued momentum in fresh food, and whether its growth story is showing any signs of slowing. (Source)
• Morrisons piloting StrongPoint’s multi-temperature Click & Collect lockers and whether they could ease the operational pressures of grocery ecommerce. (Source)
• TCC Global CMO Seb Hill joins Ben from the Groceryshop show floor to unpack new research on how AI agents could reshape grocery loyalty and customer relationships. (Source)
• Kroger’s new Rewards World Elite Mastercard and whether connecting payments directly to its rewards program is the right move for loyalty. (Source)
• Kroger testing a return to 24-hour stores and whether the potential traffic gains outweigh the operational challenges. (Source)
Plus, in GrocerTalk Grab & Go, Chris covers Kroger’s predictive creative scoring and Walmart’s expanding drone delivery program, while Ben digs into Walmart’s Shop to Light rollout and the return of Trader Joe’s mini tote bag mania.
P.S. Be sure to check out all our other podcasts from the past week here, too: https://omnitalk.blog/category/podcast/
Music by hooksounds.com.
Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by ZenlineAI and Mirakl.
In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses:
Gap Inc. launches AI-powered shopping tools across all four of its brands, 30 years after the Gap brand's first e-commerce website.Walmart expands its 30-minute Wing drone delivery service to the Seattle and Denver metro areas.Staples adds roughly 120 more Party City shop-in-shops across 27 states ahead of the holiday season.The Retail Daily Minute has been rocketing up the Feedspot charts, so stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail news.
In this Retail Technology Spotlight Series, Chris Walton sits down with Brian Kinsella, Chief Product Officer at Manhattan Associates, to explore one of the biggest technology dilemmas facing growing retailers and brands: Do you start small and risk outgrowing your systems, or invest in enterprise technology before you have the size, resources, or complexity to justify it?
Brian breaks down why that tradeoff may finally be changing. As customer expectations rise and growing brands take on marketplaces, stores as fulfillment nodes, wholesale, DTC, and increasingly complex supply chains, the technology decisions companies make early on can quickly become their ceiling. And when they outgrow those systems, the real cost isn't always the software itself. It's the migration, retraining, change management, operational disruption, and time spent rebuilding instead of growing.
Brian takes Chris inside Manhattan Associates' new Editions offering, where AI can simplify implementation, and what buyers should look for when evaluating long-term technology partners. From avoiding rip-and-replace to building a foundation where "the ceiling moves with you," they break down how growing retailers can move fast today without creating a technology problem for tomorrow.
Key Topics Covered:
00:02:05 - Why growing retailers feel like they're constantly behind on technology00:03:31 - Why customer expectations don't change based on company size00:06:51 - What actually breaks when companies outgrow their systems00:13:08 - How retailers can start smaller without sacrificing their long-term technology foundation00:17:52 - Inside Manhattan Associates' new Editions offering00:23:15 - Where AI can simplify implementations and software configuration00:28:24 - The questions every CIO and COO should ask before choosing a platformOver 8 years and nearly 200 episodes, the Retail Technology Spotlight Series has featured some of the biggest names and boldest thinkers in retail. Explore the full archive here: https://omnitalk.blog/category/spotlight-series-podcast/
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Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by ZenlineAI and Mirakl.
In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses:
Nike posts a 4% revenue decline and unveils "Pace," its third restructuring since fiscal 2024, with more layoffs coming next year.Walmart rolls out light-up digital shelf labels to help shoppers find products and associates pick and stock faster.Ikea closes three small-format plan and order stores in the Washington, D.C. area, including one that opened less than a year ago.The Retail Daily Minute has been rocketing up the Feedspot charts, so stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail news.
Producer Ella puts Chris Walton on the hot seat for a solo Fast Five lightning round.
What’s the greatest retail employee uniform of all time? Vegas or Nashville for one night only? What’s the one thing Chris wants delivered to his backyard by drone in 20 minutes? And could camera-free smart glasses finally convince him to buy in?
Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/YTVMA7yS7-g
Lowe’s is taking to the skies, becoming the first home improvement retailer to launch drone delivery through partnerships with DoorDash and Wing.
Customers can get more than 100 project essentials delivered in as fast as 20 minutes. Chris Walton explains why forgotten painter’s tape, caulk, batteries and other last-minute essentials could make home improvement one of the strongest use cases for drone delivery.
Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/YTVMA7yS7-g
Amazon is letting merchants using its Multichannel Fulfillment service offer Prime delivery directly on their own websites, with no added cost to retailers or shoppers.
Is Prime on your own site a gift for mid-sized retailers or a Trojan horse that makes them even more dependent on Amazon? Chris Walton argues it might actually be a little bit of both.
Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/YTVMA7yS7-g
Kroger just updated its store dress code for the first time in a decade, putting nearly 400,000 associates across 21 chains in company-issued shirts after shoppers said they were having trouble finding employees.
Can something as simple as a new uniform actually improve the store experience? Chris Walton explains why the move could signal something much bigger about Kroger’s expectations for its stores.
Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/YTVMA7yS7-g
Tapestry is making Coach and Kate Spade products purchasable directly inside Google’s Gemini app and AI Mode, complete with Google Pay checkout and no website redirect.
Chris Walton breaks down why he likes the experiment, but also why brands shouldn’t overinvest in someone else’s AI experience at the expense of building agentic search on their own sites.
Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/YTVMA7yS7-g
Amazon just cut off Meta’s new Muse AI agent from shopping on Amazon.com, citing data security concerns.
But as AI shopping agents continue to gain traction, Chris Walton asks the bigger question: Can Amazon really keep the agents out, or will consumer demand ultimately force its hand?
Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/YTVMA7yS7-g
Chris Niesen is back for episode 2 of Making Space Real Time, presented by the Association of Retail Consumer Professionals (aka ARC) in partnership with Omni Talk. Omni Talk CEO Chris Walton returns as guest host, and this time both Chrises walked all three stores before hitting record.
In this episode
Meta Lab at Best Buy. The AI glasses and VR headset shop-in-shop launched in June and is now in 50 stores, while Meta takes its standalone labs from 8 to 14. Chris Niesen breaks down placement, design, and experience at the Roseville, MN store: strong framing and hands-on demos, but broken smart mirrors and 600 square feet of empty floor next door. Chris Walton argues the real question for Best Buy's shop-in-shops (Meta, IKEA, Yardbird) is who pays for the staffing, and explains why this was the first display that made him see a future for smart glasses.
Lululemon's rough quarter. Q2 revenue fell 4.3%, comps fell 9%, women's leggings dropped 20%, and store openings are being cut as new CEO Heidi O'Neill steps in. Chris Niesen's diagnosis is that the brand no longer has a clear point of view, especially next to Alo, Vuori, and the Gymshark shop at Dick's. Chris Walton was the only customer in the store at 2 p.m. on a Saturday, and he explains why "SKU reduction" is code for "we need to focus" and why localization won't fix a product problem.
Kohl's doubles down on Babies"R"Us. The concept is expanding to 56 more stores on top of the 200 opened in 2024, even as Sephora at Kohl's (about 10% of sales) keeps sliding. Chris Niesen makes the case that the stores themselves are fundamentally broken and that Kohl's should cut 20% of its fixtures and product before chasing the next shop-in-shop. Chris Walton pushes back slightly: baby could be the right traffic play, and he'd stop taking Amazon returns before he'd kill Babies"R"Us.
The Checkout. Why Altar'd State is a visual merchandising standout, what Lush's Ruth Andrade told Ben Miller about walking away from social media, college sports allegiances, and favorite Christopher Nolan movies.
Final Sale. Chris Walton's assignment for Chris Niesen and a future show: the 100+ Toys"R"Us pop-up stores opening this year, and whether they're Spirit Halloween part two.
Timestamps
0:00 Welcome and what this show is about2:11 Chris Walton on conference season4:42 Story 1: Meta Lab at Best Buy11:33 Who pays for shop-in-shop staffing?18:14 Story 2: Lululemon's quarter and what it looks like in store23:50 How new leadership should approach the turnaround28:53 Story 3: Kohl's and Babies"R"Us33:42 Is Babies"R"Us the right move?37:41 The Checkout42:16 Final Sale: Toys"R"Us pop-ups43:16 Wrap-upLinks
Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/omnitalkretailListen: search "Omni Talk Retail" wherever you get your podcastsChris Niesen's writing: chrisniesen.substack.comNew episodes every other week. If you enjoyed the conversation, please leave a like or a review. We'll see you on the floor.
Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by R&S Logistics, ZenlineAI, and Mirakl.
In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses:
McDonald's launches the McDonald's Media Network, piloting third-party ads on drive-thru menu boards with its sights set on a $1 billion ad business.DoorDash adds Macy's, Anthropologie, The North Face, Vans, and Timberland to its marketplace and launches $7.99 Dasher Returns.Shopify opens checkout to browser-based AI agents, going the opposite direction of Amazon, which is blocking them.The Retail Daily Minute has been rocketing up the Feedspot charts, so stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail news.
In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Quorso, Veloq, and R&S Logistics, Chris Walton is trying something he’s never done before: going solo.
Coming to you from a hotel room in Nashville after a whirlwind stretch of conference travel, Chris takes on all five headlines himself, with Producer Ella stepping in to put him on the spot with the questions from the A&M Consumer and Retail Group. And this week, there’s a pretty clear theme running through the show: who gets to control the customer, whether it’s an AI agent, a delivery platform, a retailer, or even a company-issued shirt.
Chris digs into five of the biggest stories in retail this week, including:
• Amazon blocking Meta’s new Muse AI shopping agent from Amazon.com, raising the question of who ultimately holds the power in agentic commerce: the AI super app or the e-commerce marketplace. (Source)
• Tapestry making Coach and Kate Spade products purchasable through Google’s Gemini app and AI Mode, bringing the battle over who owns the customer and checkout moment into focus. (Source)
• Kroger rolling out a new dress code for nearly 400,000 store associates, as Chris weighs whether a more recognizable workforce can help improve the in-store experience. (Source)
• Amazon letting retailers offer Prime delivery directly on their own websites, prompting the question: gift to mid-sized retailers or Trojan horse? (Source)
• Lowe’s teaming up with DoorDash and Wing to offer 20-minute drone delivery on more than 100 home improvement essentials. (Source)
Then Producer Ella takes over the lightning round, putting Chris on the spot about the greatest retail employee uniform of all time, one night in Nashville vs. Vegas, the one thing he wants delivered to his backyard by drone, and whether camera-free AI smart glasses might finally convince him to buy in.
P.S. Be sure to check out all our other podcasts from the past week here, too: https://omnitalk.blog/category/podcast/
P.P.S. Also be sure to check out our podcast rankings on Feedspot.
Music by hooksounds.
Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by R&S Logistics, ZenlineAI, and Mirakl.
In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses:
McDonald's faces scrutiny over a Reuters report that it uses AI to set location-by-location menu prices, with franchisees saying they feel pressured to comply.Marks & Spencer and Sephora partner to open Sephora at M&S shop-in-shops in 100 UK stores and online starting spring 2027.Toast launches Toast Fuel, putting pump payments, in-store retail, and foodservice on one platform for independent convenience store operators.The Retail Daily Minute has been rocketing up the Feedspot charts, so stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail news.
In this episode, sponsored by Instacart Enterprise, Portager, Vusion, and Sifter Solutions, Ben Miller is joined by Jordan Berke, Founder & CEO of retail consultancy TOMORROW, for his first time on GrocerTalk. Jordan shares a little about his retail background and the work he’s doing at TOMORROW before he and Ben jump into surveillance pricing, the realities of rapid delivery, AI hype becoming reality, and whether retailers are actually listening to their shoppers.
This week, they discuss:
• Seattle approving its Fair and Transparent Pricing policy to ban so-called “surveillance pricing,” and Walmart CEO John Furner laying out the principles that will guide Walmart’s use of AI and pricing technology. (Source) (Source)
• Tesco store employees raising concerns about the operational impact of its Uber Eats and Deliveroo partnerships, and what grocers need to consider as more ecommerce fulfillment shifts into stores. (Source)
• Instacart CEO Chris Rogers’ claim that AI will transform grocery more than any other retail category, what AI shopping agents could mean for the industry, and the growing questions around who ultimately owns the customer relationship. (Source) (Source)
• Sam’s Club giving its members a bigger role in shaping what it sells through its Member’s Mark Community, which now includes more than 200,000 shoppers providing feedback on products, merchandising decisions and the broader member experience. (Source)
Plus, Jordan joins Ben for GrocerTalk Grab & Go, where they share the grocery stories that have caught their attention this week. Ben digs into Instacart’s latest marketplace partnerships, including Dollar General joining the platform with no price markups, and keeps an eye on the potential sale of Tesco’s Central European operations.
A few things worth checking out from this week’s episode:
Catch up on Omni Talk’s Groceryshop 2026 coverage, including conversations with some of the biggest names across grocery, retail, technology and CPG. Watch the latest interviews and episodes across the Omni Talk LinkedIn page, podcast channels and YouTube.
Episode 007. Welcome to GrocerTalk.
P.S. Be sure to check out all our other podcasts from the past week here, too: https://omnitalk.blog/category/podcast/
Music by hooksounds.com.
Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by R&S Logistics, ZenlineAI, and Mirakl.
In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses:
Walmart merges fashion, home and beauty into a new Style business unit led by Denise Incandela, its latest attempt to win in style.Costco gains an estimated $2.5 billion in CPG share of wallet, per Numerator, though Kirkland is slowing and lower-income shoppers are pulling back.Hy-Vee aims to cut the time to complete an online grocery order from about 40 minutes to five minutes or less using AI.The Retail Daily Minute has been rocketing up the Feedspot charts, so stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail news.
Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by R&S Logistics, ZenlineAI, and Mirakl.
In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses:
Amazon lets Multichannel Fulfillment merchants offer free Prime delivery on their own websites and adds fee discounts plus cross-channel selling tools.Starbucks closes 250 more North American stores this week, even as Brian Niccol's turnaround gains momentum and café remodels accelerate.Kroger requires nearly 400,000 store associates to wear company-issued shirts, its first uniform overhaul in a decade.The Retail Daily Minute has been rocketing up the Feedspot charts, so stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail news.
This week we come to you live from Las Vegas at Groceryshop 2026. Omni Talk contributor and the host of GrocerTalk, Ben Miller, joins me for this week's Fast Five, recorded right from the trade show floor in the Vusion podcast studio, built specifically for us by our friends there.
In this week's lightning round, Chris Walton puts Ben Miller on the hot seat with questions ranging from which retailer deserves its own television drama to which words he would add to or remove from the dictionary.
Watch the full Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by The A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Quorso, Ocampo Capital, Veloq, and R&S Logistics, here: https://youtu.be/6RQVw_X_fqs
This week we come to you live from Las Vegas at Groceryshop 2026. Omni Talk contributor and the host of GrocerTalk, Ben Miller, joins me for this week's Fast Five, recorded right from the trade show floor in the Vusion podcast studio, built specifically for us by our friends there.
Meta Lab is nearly doubling its retail footprint with six new locations, alongside a plan to open 50 shop-in-shops at Best Buy by the end of the year. Is the future bright for smart glasses?
Watch the full Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by The A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Quorso, Ocampo Capital, Veloq, and R&S Logistics, here: https://youtu.be/6RQVw_X_fqs
This week we come to you live from Las Vegas at Groceryshop 2026. Omni Talk contributor and the host of GrocerTalk, Ben Miller, joins me for this week's Fast Five, recorded right from the trade show floor in the Vusion podcast studio, built specifically for us by our friends there.
Toys R Us is opening 120 new standalone stores this holiday season, bringing its total footprint to 160 locations. The new stores will also feature Creator Studios, cafes, and candy shops. Do you think we will see more or fewer Toys R Us stores in 2027?
Watch the full Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by The A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Quorso, Ocampo Capital, Veloq, and R&S Logistics, here: https://youtu.be/6RQVw_X_fqs
This week we come to you live from Las Vegas at Groceryshop 2026. Omni Talk contributor and the host of GrocerTalk, Ben Miller, joins me for this week's Fast Five, recorded right from the trade show floor in the Vusion podcast studio, built specifically for us by our friends there.
Harps Food Stores just named its first-ever Director of AI Strategy and Innovation, promoting a homegrown meat and seafood category manager into the role. Is promoting from within the right way for a regional grocer to move forward on AI?
Watch the full Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by The A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Quorso, Ocampo Capital, Veloq, and R&S Logistics, here: https://youtu.be/6RQVw_X_fqs
This week we come to you live from Las Vegas at Groceryshop 2026. Omni Talk contributor and the host of GrocerTalk, Ben Miller, joins me for this week's Fast Five, recorded right from the trade show floor in the Vusion podcast studio, built specifically for us by our friends there.
Costco is now available nationwide on both DoorDash and Uber Eats, giving members another way to get same-day delivery from nearly all of its U.S. warehouses. Is Costco smartly meeting members where they are, or handing delivery apps more of its best customers?
Watch the full Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by The A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Quorso, Ocampo Capital, Veloq, and R&S Logistics, here: https://youtu.be/6RQVw_X_fqs
This week we come to you live from Las Vegas at Groceryshop 2026. Omni Talk contributor and the host of GrocerTalk, Ben Miller, joins me for this week's Fast Five, recorded right from the trade show floor in the Vusion podcast studio, built specifically for us by our friends there.
Walmart+ just added CITGO to its Gas Savings benefit, growing the program from 13,000 to more than 17,000 participating stations nationwide while keeping the annual membership price at $98. Is fuel becoming the stickiest perk in retail membership?
Watch the full Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by The A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Quorso, Ocampo Capital, Veloq, and R&S Logistics, here: https://youtu.be/6RQVw_X_fqs
What a few days at Groceryshop 2026. If you weren’t in Las Vegas for the show, this conversation is about as close as you can get to catching up on what mattered.
Recorded live on stage at Groceryshop 2026, Ben Miller, host of GrocerTalk, brings together Chris Walton, President and CEO of Omni Talk Retail, Deborah Weinswig, Founder and CEO of Coresight Research, and Kelly Lindenau, Content Director at Groceryshop, to break down what actually stood out from a week packed with big ideas, big announcements and a whole lot of talk about the future of grocery.
The conversation gets into the questions retailers are wrestling with right now. Where is agentic commerce really going? Is disintermediation becoming the bigger threat? What happens when the LLM starts to become the store? And with shoppers demanding less friction, faster decisions and better value, what does that mean for pricing, private label, marketplaces and the physical store?
Chris, Deborah, Kelly and Ben also trade their favorite AI use cases, stats, quotes and technology takeaways from the show, including why the most important technology on display may not have been the flashiest. They debate what retailers should actually be paying attention to, what might be overhyped, and what could have a real impact on the way people shop.
In this episode:
• Why agentic commerce is still a big question mark for grocery
• The growing threat of disintermediation and what retailers can do about it
• What it means if the LLM becomes the store
• Why “speed of shopping” may matter just as much as speed of delivery
• How marketplaces are changing where and how consumers shop
• Why pricing transparency could change the competitive landscape
• The growing power of private label and retailer-owned brands
• What supermarkets need to do to give shoppers a reason to come back
• The most interesting practical AI use cases from Groceryshop 2026
• The technology, stats and quotes that actually stuck with the panel
• What the group thinks retailers should be watching as we head toward 2027
🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk for more conversations with the leaders shaping grocery and retail.
Live from the Vusion podcast studio at booth 913 at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas, Ben Miller connects with Katie Blackburn, Vice President - Commercial Strategy & Operations at WHSmith North America, for a GrocerTalk conversation on the evolving world of travel retail and the changing needs of airport shoppers.
Katie breaks down how WHSmith North America operates roughly 300 stores across around 50 U.S. airports, using localized concepts and curated assortments to serve travelers with very different shopping missions. From quick, convenient purchases like chargers and hydration to discovery-driven shopping experiences, the conversation explores how WHSmith balances speed and efficiency with exploration and engagement.
The discussion also dives into WHSmith North America’s growing retail media network, including its investment in digital in-store screens and new programmatic capabilities developed in partnership with SMG. Katie also shares what’s ahead for WHSmith North America in 2027, including a planned accelerator program designed to help emerging brands reach the millions of passengers traveling through U.S. airports.
In this episode:
• WHSmith North America’s travel retail business
• The different shopper missions shaping airport retail
• Balancing speed, convenience and discovery
• Self-checkout and the changing checkout experience
• Curated merchandising in high-traffic environments
• WHSmith North America’s retail media network
• Programmatic advertising across physical store environments
• Digital screens and in-store brand engagement
• What’s ahead for WHSmith North America in 2027
• A new accelerator program for emerging brands
🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk for more conversations with the leaders shaping grocery and retail.
Live from the Vusion podcast studio at booth 913 at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas, Ben Miller sits down with Arthur Sylvestre, VP of Media & Digital at Danone North America, for a GrocerTalk conversation on the forces shaping media, digital commerce and consumer engagement across the grocery industry.
Arthur brings a CPG perspective to the conversation, exploring how brands like Danone are navigating an increasingly digital retail environment and the changing ways consumers discover and engage with products. The discussion looks at the intersection of media, digital strategy and the evolving grocery landscape.
In this episode:
• Danone North America’s media and digital strategy
• How digital is changing the grocery and CPG landscape
• The evolving relationship between brands and retailers
• Changing consumer behaviors and digital discovery
• Where media and digital strategy are headed next
• What the future of grocery means for CPG brands
🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk for more conversations with the leaders shaping grocery and retail.
Live from the Vusion podcast studio at booth 913 at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas, Ben Miller sits down with Jeremy Gosch, Chairman & CEO of Hy-Vee, following his Groceryshop keynote to unpack the biggest themes shaping the future of grocery.
Jeremy and Ben revisit the ideas from his keynote and take a closer look at the challenges and opportunities facing grocery retailers today. The conversation brings the perspective of one of the industry's major regional grocers to the floor at Groceryshop, with a focus on where Hy-Vee and the broader grocery business go from here.
In this episode:
• Key takeaways from Jeremy Gosch’s Groceryshop keynote
• The biggest forces shaping the grocery industry
• How Hy-Vee is thinking about the future of the business
• The challenges facing grocery retailers today
• Opportunities ahead for Hy-Vee and the grocery sector
• What comes next for the retailer
🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk for more conversations with the leaders shaping grocery and retail.
In this edition of 5 Insightful Minutes, Chad Lusk, Partner and Managing Director at A&M Consumer and Retail Group, joins Omni Talk live from Groceryshop 2026 to unpack how changing consumer expectations are reshaping food and beverage, from wellness and functional nutrition to value and premiumization.
Chad explains why GLP-1s are not creating these trends, but accelerating shifts that have been building for years. As consumers become more intentional about what they eat, he explores the rise of “fewer hollow bites” and why shoppers are increasingly asking, “What’s actually worth it?”
He also breaks down how consumers are shopping based on specific needs and outcomes, why private label is competing on more than price, and why premiumization remains alive for products that deliver a meaningful difference in taste, ingredients, experience, or emotional payoff.
Key Topics Covered:
• How GLP-1s are accelerating existing food and beverage trends
• The rise of “fewer hollow bites” and more intentional consumption
• Why consumers are shopping based on outcomes, not just categories
• How wellness and indulgence can both drive purchase decisions
• Why private label is competing on quality, assortment, and lifestyle fit
• Why premiumization remains alive despite increased price sensitivity
• How brands can align their value proposition with what consumers actually value
Music by hooksounds.com
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Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by R&S Logistics, ZenlineAI, and Mirakl.
In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses:
McDonald's commits roughly $8.5 billion to franchisees through 2036 to fund remodels, new equipment, and its AI-powered ArchIQ operating system.Instacart takes its Airbnb grocery integration nationwide, extending Instacart Ads' reach along the way.Sam's Club rolls out InComm's personalized, SKU-level digital offers, redeemed and validated in real time at checkout.The Retail Daily Minute has been rocketing up the Feedspot charts, so stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail insights.
Live from the Vusion podcast studio at booth 913 at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas, Ben Miller welcomes Jim Trahanas, Chief Technology Officer at Fruitist, to explore how a fruit company is using technology, data and AI across its entire value chain.
Jim breaks down what it actually means to apply AI and machine learning across the business, from the underlying data and technology foundations to the culture required to support innovation. He also discusses Fruitist’s recognition as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2026 and what it takes to build a technically progressive organization.
In this episode:
• The scale and technology strategy behind Fruitist
• Why Fruitist was recognized among Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies
• What applying AI and ML across the value chain actually means
• The data and technology foundations required to make it work
• How AI can extend beyond individual use cases
• Building and maintaining a technically progressive culture
🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk for more conversations with the leaders shaping grocery and retail.
Live from the Vusion podcast studio at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas, Ben Miller welcomes Andrew Lederman, VP of Global Digital Commerce at Mondelēz International, to explore how grocery shopping is evolving online and what that means for one of the world’s major consumer packaged goods companies.
Andrew discusses the global shift toward digital grocery, changing shopping behaviors and the growing expectation for speed across markets. He also looks at the challenge of bringing impulse products into digital environments, how search and discovery are changing and what brands need to do to remain discoverable as algorithms, LLMs and agentic commerce reshape the path to purchase.
In this episode:
• How digital grocery is evolving across global markets
• What’s driving consumers toward online grocery shopping
• The growing expectation for speed and convenience
• How a CPG company approaches impulse products online
• How search and digital discovery are changing
• Building discoverability across algorithms and LLMs
• What agentic commerce could mean for CPG brands
• Strategies for converting digital demand
🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk for more conversations with the leaders shaping grocery and retail.
Live from the Vusion podcast studio at booth 913 at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas, Ben Miller connects with Sjoerd Holleman, Chief Product and AI Officer at Albert Heijn, to explore how AI is reshaping the shopping experience.
Sjoerd shares lessons from Albert Heijn’s AI shopping assistant Steijn, including what shoppers are using and how those learnings can translate beyond the Dutch market. The conversation also looks at the growing role of personal AI agents, the future of customer experience through AI and how Ahold Delhaize is using AI assistants internally to support store associates.
In this episode:
• How AI is changing the shopping experience at Albert Heijn
• Lessons from Steijn, Albert Heijn’s AI shopping assistant
• Which AI assistant functionalities shoppers are using most
• What Dutch shopper behavior can teach the broader grocery industry
• How AI innovations can scale across Ahold Delhaize brands
• Keeping retailer-built assistants relevant as personal AI agents grow
• The future of customer experience through AI
• How AI assistants are supporting store associates
🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk for more conversations with the leaders shaping grocery and retail.
Live from the Vusion podcast studio at booth 913 at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas, Ben Miller sits down with Bobby Watts, SVP and Executive Lead of AD Retail Media at Ahold Delhaize USA, to explore how retail media is evolving and where the industry goes next.
Bobby explains the scope of AD Retail Media across Ahold Delhaize USA’s banners and shares his perspective on the priorities shaping retail media today. The conversation covers the opportunity within physical store portfolios, what advertisers are looking for from retail media and the platforms and technology needed to meet increasingly sophisticated demands.
In this episode:
• What falls under AD Retail Media across Ahold Delhaize USA
• The biggest priorities shaping retail media today
• Unlocking the value of physical store portfolios
• What advertisers are seeking from retail media
• Balancing awareness and conversion
• The technology required to support sophisticated advertisers
• What could be the biggest development in retail media in 2027
🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk for more conversations with the leaders shaping grocery and retail.
In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Quorso, Veloq, and R&S Logistics, Chris Walton is joined by Omni Talk contributor and GrocerTalk host Ben Miller for another round of Fast Five fun, recorded live from the Vusion podcast studio at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas. This week, Walmart fills up, Costco delivers, Harps gets AI, Toys R Us gets bigger, and Meta gets its glasses on.
Chris and Ben dig into five of the biggest stories in retail this week, including:
• Walmart+ adding CITGO to its Gas Savings benefit, expanding the program from 13,000 to more than 17,000 participating stations nationwide and giving members 10 cents off per gallon. (Source)
• Costco expanding its delivery reach by joining both DoorDash and Uber Eats nationwide, giving members another way to get same-day and scheduled orders from nearly all of its U.S. warehouses. (Source)
• Harps Food Stores naming longtime employee and former meat and seafood category manager Will McDoniel as its first director of AI strategy and innovation. (Source)
• Toys R Us opening 120 new stand-alone stores this holiday season, bringing its stand-alone footprint to 160 locations and adding features like Creator Studios, cafes and candy shops. (Source)
• Meta Lab, the store concept behind Meta’s AI glasses, nearly doubling its retail footprint with six new locations while expanding its Best Buy shop-in-shop presence. (Source)
The episode wraps with a lightning round covering which retailer deserves its own prestige TV drama, what words should be added or removed from the dictionary, and plenty more retail and pop culture fun.
Plus, everyone’s favorite A&Mer, Chad Lusk, joins Chris for 5 Insightful Minutes.
P.S. Be sure to check out all our other podcasts from the past week here, too: https://omnitalk.blog/category/podcast/
P.P.S. Also be sure to check out our podcast rankings on Feedspot.
Music by hooksounds.
Breaking news from Groceryshop 2026: Dollar General is joining the Instacart Marketplace, a new partnership exclusively revealed to Omni Talk Retail by Ryan Hamburger, Chief Commercial Officer at Instacart, during a live conversation with Ben Miller from the Vusion podcast studio at booth 913 in Las Vegas.
Ben and Ryan also unpack Instacart CEO Chris Rogers’ opening Mainstage Keynote, including the potential impact of AI agents and assistants on grocery, the continued affordability imperative, and the challenges retailers are working to solve. Ryan shares how Instacart supports its retail partners through Instacart Enterprise and discusses other major brands joining the Instacart Marketplace, including Gopuff and Airbnb.
In this episode:
• Dollar General joining the Instacart Marketplace
• What the Chief Commercial Officer role covers at Instacart
• Ryan’s biggest takeaways from Chris Rogers’ Groceryshop keynote
• Why AI agents and assistants could reshape grocery
• The continued importance of affordability
• How Instacart Enterprise supports retailers
• The biggest challenges Instacart is hearing from retail partners
• Gopuff and Airbnb joining the Instacart Marketplace
• What Ryan thinks was missing from the opening keynote
🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk for more conversations with the leaders shaping grocery and retail.
Live from the Vusion podcast studio at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas, Chris Walton sits down with Myron Frazier, Chief Merchandising Officer at Sam’s Club, to explore what value means for today’s increasingly deliberate consumer and how Sam’s Club builds its assortment around that idea.
Myron discusses the history behind Sam’s Club, the role of Member’s Mark, and why a curated assortment can be an advantage even when consumers have access to virtually unlimited choice. He also dives into the technology supporting the member experience, from scan-and-go and exit arches to one-hour delivery, and how those capabilities fit into Sam’s Club’s long-term strategy.
In this episode:
• How Sam’s Club defines value for its members
• What the company’s history can teach today’s merchants
• The role of Member’s Mark in the Sam’s Club assortment
• Why offering less can create an advantage
• How scan-and-go and exit arches support the member experience
• The role of one-hour delivery from Club
• What’s ahead for Sam’s Club’s merchant team in Q4
🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk Retail for more conversations with the leaders shaping retail.
Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by R&S Logistics, ZenlineAI, and Mirakl.
In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses:
Amazon cuts off Meta's Muse AI agent, citing undisclosed access and credential-storage concerns amid the broader agentic-shopping turf war.Best Buy launches a TikTok Shop storefront in late October, offering nearly 10,000 products with creator and retail-media tie-ins ahead of the holidays.Sam's Club Connect debuts AI-powered Predictive Precision Targeting and an expanded Omni-Impact measurement suite, built around a P&G case study.The Retail Daily Minute has been rocketing up the Feedspot charts, so stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail insights.
Live from the Vusion podcast studio at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas, Chris Walton catches up with Mark Williamson, AVP of Retail Media at Costco, to discuss the evolution of Costco’s retail media capabilities and how the business is balancing advertising with its core membership experience.
Mark looks at Costco’s rebuilt ad server, clean room, offsite measurement and search integrations, while explaining how retail media connects to a business where much of the shopping still happens inside the warehouse. The conversation also turns to the next phase of digital discovery as AI agents increasingly enter the shopping journey.
In this episode:
• The progress of Costco’s retail media technology stack
• Building retail media around the Costco membership experience
• How Costco connects ad exposure to in-warehouse sales
• The role of membership in Costco’s retail media strategy
• Why the warehouse remains central to Costco’s advertising proposition
• How AI agents could change search, discovery and advertising
• What it means to reach a shopper when the shopper is an AI agent
🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk Retail for more conversations with the leaders shaping retail.
Fresh off the Groceryshop 2026 mainstage, Ben Miller sits down with Yael Cosset, EVP & Chief Digital Officer at Kroger, live from the Vusion podcast studio at booth 913 in Las Vegas, to unpack Kroger’s AI strategy and what comes next as the company moves from experimentation toward more advanced AI applications.
Yael discusses the foundations behind Kroger’s AI strategy, the launch of its AI Shopping Assistant and how the company is thinking about the progression from assisted to augmented to autonomous AI. The conversation also explores governance, the role of humans as AI becomes more capable and how AI can help simplify the business and give associates more time with customers.
In this episode:
• Kroger’s AI strategy and the foundations needed to scale it
• What Kroger is learning from its new AI Shopping Assistant
• The evolution from assisted to augmented to autonomous AI
• Where human oversight fits into an increasingly autonomous future
• How AI can simplify work for Kroger associates
• The potential impact of AI across customers, associates and the business
• What AI could mean for the future of Kroger’s 84.51 proposition
🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk for more conversations with the leaders shaping grocery and retail.
Live from the Vusion podcast studio at booth 913 at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas, Chris Walton sits down with Brian Monahan, SVP of Retail Media at Albertsons Media Collective, to explore how the retail media business has evolved since their last conversation and where AMC is headed next.
Brian breaks down Albertsons’ focus on “collective growth” beyond advertising revenue, including category growth and household penetration, while discussing how retail media increasingly connects merchandising, stores, digital and operations. He also shares his perspective on why new shopping experiences may be more important than traditional programmatic targeting and where the creator economy could intersect with retail media.
In this episode:
• How Albertsons Media Collective has evolved over the past year
• Why new shopping experiences may be underhyped in retail media
• Measuring retail media success beyond ad revenue
• Connecting merchandising, stores, digital and operations
• Where the creator economy and retail media could intersect
• What Albertsons Media Collective could look like in the years ahead
🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk Retail for more conversations with the leaders shaping retail.
In this episode, sponsored by Instacart Enterprise, Portager, Vusion, and Sifter Solutions, Ben Miller is joined by Lauren Livak Gilbert, Executive Director of the Digital Shelf Institute, live from Las Vegas on the eve of Groceryshop 2026, to unpack the latest grocery news and trends shaping the global grocery and CPG industry.
This week, they discuss:
• UK concerns over autonomous delivery robots, following a YouGov poll and the end of Starship Technologies’ Sheffield pilot. (Source)
• Target naming Mark Weinstein as its new Chief Marketing and Guest Experience Officer, and what his appointment could mean for the shopper experience. (Source)
• Morrisons rolling out “Shop to Light” across more than 200 stores, and whether the ESL use case adds real value for shoppers. (Source)
• Kroger removing Red Bull from its stores and fuel centers, amid its push to challenge suppliers on pricing. (Source)
Plus, Lauren joins us to preview Groceryshop 2026, including the key themes to watch and her one must-see session, and of course, she shares a global grocery story in GrocerTalk Grab & Go.
A few things worth checking out from this week’s episode:
Follow along with Omni Talk’s coverage from Groceryshop 2026, including exclusive interviews with executives from Kroger, Sam’s Club, Hy-Vee, Costco, Albertsons, Instacart, Ahold Delhaize and more. Catch the interviews across the Omni Talk LinkedIn page, podcast channels and YouTube.
Episode 006. Welcome to GrocerTalk.
P.S. Be sure to check out all our other podcasts from the past week here, too: https://omnitalk.blog/category/podcast/
Music by hooksounds.com.
Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by R&S Logistics, ZenlineAI, and Mirakl.
In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses:
J.C. Penney's Q2 sales fall more than 8% as the department store loses market share, even as beauty and active apparel post gains.Wegmans commits $110 million to a new refrigerated distribution facility and return center in Rochester, N.Y.Presto's drive-thru voice AI integrates with Toast's POS ecosystem, aiming to ease adoption for mid-market restaurant chains.The Retail Daily Minute has been rocketing up the Feedspot charts, so stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail insights.
Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by R&S Logistics, ZenlineAI, and Mirakl.
In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses:
Kroger stops selling Red Bull at all stores and fuel centers amid a reported pricing dispute, and pulls Boar's Head deli meats from many locations.Toys R Us announces 120 new stand-alone stores this holiday season with Go Retail Group, bringing its footprint to 160 locations.Albertsons launches a new multi-touch attribution tool with LiveRamp, promising "couch to checkout" measurement for retail media advertisers.The Retail Daily Minute has been rocketing up the Feedspot charts, so stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail insights.
The Fall retail conference season is officially underway, with NRF Paris having just wrapped and Groceryshop, Shoptalk Fall, NACS, and many others just weeks away. Omni Talk figured what better way to get ready for the upcoming season than to put together our primer of the must-see tech that has caught our attention this year.
This episode features Mirakl’s section of our Fall Conference Season “Must-See” Tech Preview, where Justin Samakow, Head of Platform Strategy at Mirakl, explores what it takes for retailers to build and scale successful marketplace and platform business models.
The conversation covers the continued shift toward marketplace-driven e-commerce and the opportunity for retailers to build new sources of revenue beyond traditional trade. Justin breaks down the organizational and strategic foundations required to launch a marketplace, from executive sponsorship and dedicated cross-functional teams to creating a focused “minimal viable ecosystem” that delivers value for both shoppers and third-party sellers.
Be sure to check out the rest of our podcasts this past week and the next few to catch exclusive content from some of the biggest retail conferences!
We can’t think of a better way to get a bird's eye view into the tech shaping the retail of tomorrow, today!
P.S. To explore more conversations from the Omni Talk Ask an Expert Series, head here.
Music by hooksounds.com
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The Fall retail conference season is officially underway, with NRF Paris having just wrapped and Groceryshop, Shoptalk Fall, NACS, and many others just weeks away. Omni Talk figured what better way to get ready for the upcoming season than to put together our primer of the must-see tech that has caught our attention this year.
This episode features Portal’s section of our Fall Conference Season “Must-See” Tech Preview, where Oliver Leigh, CEO & Co-Founder of Portal, explores how CPG brands can gain greater visibility into what happens after shoppers click on off-site digital advertising.
Brands investing in platforms like Meta, TikTok and Google often lose visibility once shoppers leave the ad and head to a third-party retailer. Oliver explains how Portal captures critical e-commerce funnel metrics such as bounce rates, add-to-cart activity and conversion performance, giving CPG brands a clearer picture of how their off-site media is translating into retail outcomes while maintaining privacy and compliance.
Be sure to check out the rest of our podcasts this past week and the next few to catch exclusive content from some of the biggest retail conferences!
We can’t think of a better way to get a bird's eye view into the tech shaping the retail of tomorrow, today!
P.S. To explore more conversations from the Omni Talk Ask an Expert Series, head here.
Music by hooksounds.com
Sponsored Content