Omni Talk Retail

In the latest edition of the Omni Talk Fast Five, sponsored by FastSensor and Takeoff, Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, and Emma the Intern try to take their minds off all the election craziness by turning their attention to the great debates in the world of retail this past week. Together they discuss: – Walmart's new lab stores – The interesting juxtaposition between Wayfair's recent success and Pier 1's relaunch – Alibaba's rumored investment in Farfetch – Postmates and its new retail platform – Nestle's $950 million acquisition of Freshly and whether meal kits are here to stay – And, Tom Brady Yes, Tom Brady. All that and more in this week’s election hangover episode of the Omni Talk Fast Five! To learn more about FastSensor, visit: www.fastsensor.com/retail-promo To learn more about Takeoff, visit: www.takeoff.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

One of Omni Talk's all-time favorite guests, David Sobie, CEO Happy Returns, returns to the Omni Talk Spotlight Series to update Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga on a couple of major announcements from his company over the last few weeks -- specifically, the recently announced partnerships with FedEx and Inmar Intelligence. Through the new partnership with FedEx, Happy Returns will grow its network of return bars substantially with FedEx. Online shoppers will be able to make returns at more than 2,000 FedEx stores across the country, and that also includes more than 340 locations currently sitting inside of Walmart stores! In addition, the Happy Returns and Inmar Intelligence partnership will also build upon the FedEx relationship because it too will allow shoppers and retailers to use a branded returns portal to initiate returns, with the option for customers to return items, box-free and label-free, to one of Happy Returns’ now 2,600+ Returns Bars around the country. The process will facilitate an immediate refund or exchange for consumers and will also provide a more environmentally friendly and cost-effective solution for e-commerce returns, as returned inventory is shipped to returns facilities in reusable containers instead of individual packages, all using Inmar's many years of experience and data disposition intelligence along the way. Anne and Chris have had their eye on David and Happy Returns since early 2016 and, for all intents and purposes, not even a pandemic can slow them down!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

In the latest edition of the Omni Talk Fast Five, sponsored by FastSensor and Takeoff, Oliver Banks joins Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, and Emma the Intern to discuss British TV and cinema and all the week's top retail news. Together they talk: - Social commerce and Shopify's new partnership with TikTok - Free one-hour pickup at Whole Foods - Happy Returns' brilliant strategy move with FedEx - Amazon paying people for their data - Robots at Sam's Club - And, Mary Poppins Yes, Mary Poppins. All that and more in this week's transatlantic episode with guest host Ollie Banks! To learn more about FastSensor, visit: www.fastsensor.com/retail-promo To learn more about Takeoff, visit: www.takeoff.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

You have probably never thought about accounting as a secret weapon, but it is. In the latest edition of the Omni Talk Spotlight Series, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga sit down with BlackLine Chief Transformation Officer Tammy Coley to discuss how thinking differently about one's accounting systems and processes can make a big difference in both strategy and operational efficiency. As the pandemic has shown, rudimentary spreadsheets and outdated processes that rely on cubicle proximity to work are no longer enough. Accounting, just like everything else, needs to move to the cloud, so that people can work from anywhere and, most importantly, any unnecessary risk can be removed from the equation. There is just too much at stake. As Chris Walton's HBS professor used to say, "Accounting equals truth plus measurement error and bias." Technology has advanced for too much to let the last two variables continue to hold companies back. There are simpler, easier ways to manage the back office, so that executives can be freed up to focus on what matters most -- the art of management and strategy during these trying times. To learn more about BlackLine, visit: https://www.blackline.com/industries/retail/?utm_source=omnitalk&utm_medium=3rd-party-other&utm_campaign=na-audio-2020-10-retail-podcast *Sponsored Podcast*This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

In our latest episode of the Omni Talk Spotlight Series, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss all things retail and IoT with Stacey Shulman, VP Internet of Things Group & GM Health and Life Sciences and Emerging Technology. Stacey's background is fascinating. Her career in retail started at Walmart, she next started selling technology to retailers, and then became the CIO at American Apparel and an executive for Levi's. Now embarking on her almost fourth year at Intel, we ask Stacey how she leads, how she separates good innovation from bad, what "smart retail" really means, and also what excites her most about the future -- hint, it could be figuring out the technology behind scaleable, repeatable retail experiences, aka retail theater. Scaling experiences, i.e. replicating the "why" in why come to a physical store sounds easy, but it is not. Take it from us. Stacey and her team at Intel are helping the industry to figure it all out. Plus, we put Stacey through How Millennial are You? and even add a bonus question -- Star Wars or Star Trek? *Sponsored Content*This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

In the latest edition of the Omni Talk Fast Five, sponsored by FastSensor and Takeoff, Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, and Emma the Intern have quite the catharsis surrounding Prime Day and all the week's top retail headlines. This week they discuss: - How Amazon Prime Day left them wanting more - Why Walmart splitting up Black Friday into 3 separate events could signal tough times ahead - Dollar General's new upmarket Popshelf concept that Chris loves and Anne and Emma the Intern are split on - The company formerly known as Standard Cognition's new checkout-free convenience store on a Houston college campus (it's only 350 sf -- we checked) - Gamestop's new Microsoft partnership - GoPuff's huge $380 million investment round - And, William H. Macy Yes, William H. Macy. All that and more, plus Chris, of course, pays tribute to two female titans of early 1980s television. To learn more about FastSensor, visit: www.fastsensor.com/retail-promo To learn more about Takeoff, visit: www.takeoff.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga interview Inna Kuznetsova, CEO 1010 data about the value of data in creating long-term collaborative partnerships across retailers and suppliers. A company rooted in the financial sector after 9/11, 1010data has a long history of providing actionable data and insights across wide streams of expertise. Companies like Sam's Club and Dollar General, along with many other retailers and CPGs, look to 1010data, especially during COVID-19, to help them predict where to move in the market. In this podcast, Chris and Anne discuss with Inna: - The importance of a strong omnichannel data foundation across online and offline operations - The danger of using "averages" in the wrong places - Why impulse purchase behavior may not always be triggered by what you think - And, just how easy and financially rewarding it can be for retailers and suppliers to come together with the right tools and processes, all aligned around data sharing Plus, Inna is an absolute blast with a ton of personality. She will have you laughing with fun anecdotes about retail the whole way through. *Sponsored Podcast*This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Anne Mezzenga sits down with The Vitamin Shoppe CEO Sharon Leite for a special edition of the Women's Retail Collective Podcast from the Retail Innovation Conference. Sharon started her retail career in college as an associate at Express, spent time at L Brands, GAP, Disney, Pier 1, and now leads teams running almost 800 stores at The Vitamin Shoppe. Anne and Sharon review the rubric Sharon uses to help make major career decisions, her advice for those in retail careers, and the innovation her team at The Vitamin Shoppe has fast-tracked to take on the challenges of the last few months.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

In the latest edition of the Omni Talk Fast Five, sponsored by FastSensor and Takeoff, Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, and Emma the Intern go full on Generation Z with a little Baby Boomer sprinkled in at the end. This week they talk: - Venmo's new credit card - Gucci and the RealReal's new partnership - Instagram shopping through Reels video - Cooler Screens' $80 million investment round - Walmart selling medicare insurance plans - And, Matt Damon. Yes, Matt Damon. All that and more, plus Chris reveals his five-year-old TV crush - the answer will surprise you! To learn more about FastSensor, visit: www.fastsensor.com/retail-promo To learn more about Takeoff, visit: www.takeoff.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga interview Jesse Michael, Managing Director Adeptmind, to discuss all things malls and e-commerce in the latest edition of their ever popular Omni Talk Spotlight Series. Adeptmind made huge waves recently with their announcement and partnership with Centennial Malls to create a new Shop Now! program, whereby Centennial Mall shoppers can shop their malls like they would shop Amazon, i.e. as digital marketplaces comprised of all their tenants. Jesse shares with Chris and Anne how Adeptmind came to be (not surprisingly, it was rooted in product search), how his company and Centennial are thinking about Shop Now! in stages of development, and how, if all goes as planned, not only will Shop Now! be a new way for malls to conduct commerce but could also be a new way to support local businesses and to create a never before seen world of connected commerce in which anyone, not just the big guys, can play. Chris and Anne have long espoused the value of a digital commerce front end for malls. Many said they were crazy, and now Adeptmind and Centennial Malls are making it happen. Stay tuned!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy