Target Goes Factory-Direct, Walmart Goes Dark & Starbucks Revamps Its Hiring Process

In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five retail news roundup, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Wiliot, Avalara, TGW, and Sezzle, Chris and Anne:Discussed Instacart serving up advertisements on its smart cartsSplit on Peloton and TikTok’s new partnershipLauded Starbucks for allowing customers to bring their own cupsDebated the merits of fit tech through the lens of Amazon's new fashion AI enhancementsAnd closed with another salute to Walmart for piloting mammograms in a Delaware storeThere’s all that, plus bifocal issues, Taco Bell chalupas, and why Costco should never get rid of its $1.49 churros.Music by hooksounds.com

10 Jan 202443min

In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five retail news roundup, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Firework, Avalara, TGW, and Sezzle, Chris and Anne discussed:Walmart’s bold and beautiful move to put BNPL via Affirm at self-checkoutAmazon’s confounding decision to test an additional $9.99 per month fee on top of Amazon Prime for grocery deliveryWhy Macy’s shareholders should take a hard look at their buyout offer on the tableGoogle’s second brilliant move over the last two months in search commerceAnd closed with a look at why CNBC may have gotten it right on the money when it questioned Target’s claims about theftThere’s all that, plus tastes we would rather eat than drink, DNA data storage, and an allusion to Vera Farmiga in The Departed saying why “honesty is not always synonymous with truth.”Music by hooksounds.com

20 Dec 202339min

In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five podcast, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Firework, Avalara, TGW, and Sezzle,, David Ritter and David Brown, from the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, stopped by to help Chris and Anne hand out this year’s retail awards.All told, they gave out awards across 10 categories and also made some predictions for 2024, including:Retailer of the YearHeadline of the YearRetail Technology of the YearRetail Person of the YearMost Overhyped Retail Technology of the YearRetail Headline You Would Most Like to See Turned Into a MovieBest Strategic Move from a Struggling RetailerBest New Partnership of the YearMost Laughable Headline of the YearRetail Concept You Most Wish You Had In Your NeighborhoodSo give this week’s podcast a listen, tell us what we got right and what we got wrong, and be sure to share your thoughts on social media, too!Music by hooksounds.com

14 Dec 202354min

In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five retail news roundup, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Firework, Avalara, TGW, and Sezzle, Chris and Anne:Discussed what really could be impacting shrink in light of NRF’s softening on its previously stated impact from Organized Retail CrimeDisagreed about whether the world really needs Uber Store PickupLauded DoorDash for once again fortifying the strength of DashPass with its new Best Buy relationshipShowed tempered enthusiasm for Walmart’s store of the future plans from their Canadian brethren up NorthAnd closed with a look at why in the world anyone also needs shoppable “TV” programming from Walmart called “Add to Heart”There’s all that, plus gingerbread cannibalism, how long we could survive living in a grocery store, and Microsoft’s Jeff Strasser also stops by for 5 Insightful Minutes on Generative AI.Music by hooksounds.com

6 Dec 202349min

In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five retail news roundup, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Firework, Avalara, TGW, and Sezzle, Chris and Anne discussed:Discussed why Etisalat’s new telecom store with Trigo is such an important mark in the evolution of retailGot excited for the merger between Foxtrot and Dom’sThrew shade at Allbirds for its apparent attitude and timing in selling on AmazonExplored what Nuuly is getting right in the rental and resale marketAnd closed with a look at why Victoria’s Secret is making “stores of the future” sexy againThere’s all that, plus Cyber Monday’s origins, what Anne and I would do with eight more teeth, and Amazon VP Dilip Kumar also stopped by to give us 5 Insightful Minutes on the future of Amazon Just Walk Out and Amazon One Palm Pay.Music by hooksounds.com

29 Nov 202344min

In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Firework, Avalara, TGW, and Sezzle, Anne and Chris:Got really geeked up about Amazon selling Hyundai onlinePulled the caution flag out on all the Gap turnaround headlinesLauded Walgreens for its decision to close an e-commerce fulfillment center in favor of shipping more from its storesFeared we can already start to smell the smoldering dumpster fire at Kohl’sAnd closed with an in-person review of the new Toys R Us flagship store at the Mall of AmericaThere’s all that, plus 5 Insightful Minutes on U.S. consumer sentiment with Chad Lusk, Stanley mugs, our favorite camels, and the always unanswerable question of, “Where does the sidewalk really end?”To sign up for eTail West, click hereTo download the Consumer Sentiment Report discussed in Chad's 5 Insightful Minutes, click here

22 Nov 202349min

In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Firework, Avalara, TGW, and Sezzle, A&M’s Chris Creyts and Cassie Ryding stopped by to discuss:What to make of this week’s earning reportsThe new Amazon and Meta partnershipAmazon Buy with Prime AssistPoshmark’s livestream Secondhand Sunday plansAnd the Founder of Chipotle’s new restaurant concept that runs on robotsThere’s all that, plus Nepalese TikTok bans, Andre 3000, and an all too intellectual discussion about WTF McDonald’s Grimace actually is.Music by hooksounds.com

16 Nov 202346min

In this week’s Omni Talk Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Firework, Avalara, TGW, and Sezzle, Chris and Anne discussed:Amazon calling it quits on its Amazon Style fashion store conceptGoogle’s launch of discount searchShein’s $90 billion IPO valuationIKEA pulling back its 5% loyalty discountAnd DoorDash piloting a new warning to customers about bad service should they forgo tippingThere’s all that, plus Tomorrow's Jordan Berke gives us 5 Insightful Minutes on Singles Day, the right starting price point for human artifacts, Silent Doritos, and what we think Jeff Bezos most likely would buy himself as a housewarming gift.Music by hooksounds.com

8 Nov 202341min