Lightning Round: Mall Makeovers, AI Mode & Our Thoughts On Tom Brady Macking On Sydney Sweeney
This segment on the Retail Fast Five podcast, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Infios, Clear Demand, and Ocampo Capital, covers rapid-fire retail takes.Quick hits on General Dynamics buying Macy's anchor space (Chris suggests hiding alien bodies), Google's AI mode for fashion try-ons (Anne loves how flattering it is), and Jeff Bezos' celebrity-packed wedding. Plus Anne's controversial Arnold Schwarzenegger movie rankings with Kindergarten Cop at #1!For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/-J5sCVAKsfQ🔔 Subscribe for weekly retail insights!⏩ Topics Covered:📌 44:30 – Dead Mall Spaces & Government Use📌 45:37 – Google AI Mode Fashion Experience📌 47:16 – Celebrity Wedding Guest Lists📌 48:34 – Arnold Schwarzenegger Movie Rankings#lightninground #deadmalls #googleAI #celebrityweddings #retailrealestate #AIfashion #arnoldschwarzenegger #retailentertainment
7 Jul 5min
Fast Five Shorts | Will Starbucks' New Hiring Procedures Lead To Their Intended Consequences?
This segment on the Retail Fast Five podcast, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Infios, Clear Demand, and Ocampo Capital, analyzes Starbucks' hiring transformation under CEO Brian Niccol.Starbucks adds district managers to barista hiring decisions as part of experience improvements. Chris sees it as a culture message but fears operational issues remain unsolved, while Anne advocates for automation first, comparing it to Chick-fil-A's efficient model where human interaction focuses on key moments.For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/-J5sCVAKsfQ🔔 Subscribe for weekly retail insights!#starbucks #brianniccol #retailhiring #customerexperience #baristas #retailstaffing #operationaldesign #retailautomation
7 Jul 7min
Fast Five Shorts | Do You Agree With Hibbett’s Decision To Create A Standalone Kids App?
This segment on the Retail Fast Five podcast, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Infios, Clear Demand, and Ocampo Capital, examines Hibbett's kids-focused digital strategy.Hibbett launches a standalone kids app and website under new owner JD Sports for ages 13 and younger. Both Chris and Anne question this approach, suggesting resources would be better spent on TikTok influencers and content creation where kids actually discover products, rather than building separate apps.For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/-J5sCVAKsfQ🔔 Subscribe for weekly retail insights!#hibbitt #kidsapp #JDsports #athleticretail #mobilecommerce #retailapps #kidsecommerce #influencermarketing
7 Jul 4min
Fast Five Shorts | Pro Or Con: Target Exploring A Factory-Direct Model?
This segment on the Retail Fast Five podcast, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Infios, Clear Demand, and Ocampo Capital, breaks down Target's factory direct shipping test.Target explores factory direct shipping similar to Temu and Shein's model for apparel and home goods. Chris loves the defensive move and believes Target's brand credibility can win, while Anne questions if Target has lost its design edge and worries about competing on price against Walmart and Amazon.For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/-J5sCVAKsfQ🔔 Subscribe for weekly retail insights!#target #factorydirect #temu #shein #retailsourcing #directshipping #retailstrategy #brandcredibility
7 Jul 8min
Fast Five Shorts | How Long Before We Are All Grocery Shopping Via Smart Carts?
This segment on the Retail Fast Five podcast, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Infios, Clear Demand, and Ocampo Capital, explores Wegmans' smart cart pilot.Wegmans pilots Instacart's AI-powered Caper Carts at their Syracuse store for seamless checkout and spending tracking. Anne remains "mid" on smart carts, seeing them as a retail media play rather than essential retail tech, while Chris questions if this expensive capital investment will ever scale effectively.For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/-J5sCVAKsfQ🔔 Subscribe for weekly retail insights!#wegmans #smartcarts #instacart #capercarts #grocerytech #retailmedia #AIretail #loyaltyprograms
7 Jul 5min
Fast Five Shorts | How Should We Think About Walmart’s “Dark Store” Admission?
This segment on the Retail Fast Five podcast, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Infios, Clear Demand, and Ocampo Capital, dives into Walmart's dark store pilot program.Walmart is testing dark stores in Dallas for faster online fulfillment, with plans for Bentonville. Chris calls it a smart defensive and offensive move that could eliminate out-of-stocks online, while Anne questions whether this accelerates competition with Amazon and what Target's response will be.🔔 Subscribe for weekly retail insights!For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/-J5sCVAKsfQ#walmart #darkstores #retailtech #onlinefulfillment #ecommerce #retailautomation #omnichannel #warehouseinnovation
7 Jul 4min
Target Goes Factory-Direct, Walmart Goes Dark & Starbucks Revamps Its Hiring Process
In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand, Chris and Anne discussed:Walmart testing dark stores (Source)Wegmans piloting Instacart’s smart carts (Source)Target exploring factory-direct shipping models similar to Shein and Temu (Source)Hibbett’s launch of a kid-focused app and website (Source)Starbucks retooling its hiring process for baristas (Source)And gStore from GreyOrange’s General Manager, Troy Siwek stopped by for 5 Insightful Minutes to give us the lowdown on what technologies he thinks retailers should be evaluating for their next generation of smart stores.There’s all that, plus alien bodies, AI mode, the Bezos wedding, and Arnold Schwarzenegger movie rankings.You can give this week’s Fast Five retail news roundup a listen by clicking above or on the platform of your choice below: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 Apple Podcasts and on FeedspotMusic by hooksounds.com#RetailNews #WalmartDarkStores #InstacartSmartCarts #RetailTech #TargetFactoryDirect #RetailPodcast #OmniTalk #StarbucksHiring #HibbettKids #RetailInnovation #GroceryTech #RetailStrategy
2 Jul 50min
Lightning Round: Romance Novels, Soap Wars & French Fry Pizza
In this week's Fast Five Podcast, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand, our rapid-fire lightning round covers the week's quirkiest retail stories: Ollipop's 5-cent VIP boxes, Jimmy John's steamy romance novel promotion, Unilever acquiring Dr. Squatch, and Tombstone's wild French fry crust pizza experiment.Timestamps:32:19 - Ollipop Amazon partnership32:53 - Jimmy John romance audiobook34:54 - Dr Squatch acquisition35:34 - Tombstone French fry pizzaCatch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/3lsaTBvBuMs#RetailNews #FoodInnovation #BrandMarketing #ConsumerTrends #LightningRound
30 Jun 5min
