Stay ConnectedOmni Talk Retail provides news, analysis, and commentary on the latest trends and issues in the retail industry. Created by a retailer, Chris Walton, for retailers, Omni Talk Retail covers a wide range of topics related to retail, including e-commerce, technology, marketing, and consumer behavior.
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Inflation is impacting retail business across the board, from gasoline to groceries, and historically the go-to solution has been to cut costs wherever you can, but perhaps there’s an alternative?
In Omni Talk Retail’s latest Spotlight Series, Anne Mezzenga explores with Upside’s VP of Retail Tyler Renaghan how retailers should take this time as an opportunity to grow revenue, instead of cutting costs to battle inflationary pressures.
In this interview Anne and Tyler discuss:
- How retailers can shift their focus from large awareness campaigns to more personalized offers to bring in new customers.
- The bottom-line benefits of creating loyalty programs that allow customers to directly deposit savings from shopping in stores into their bank accounts, requiring no funny money, games, or vouchers.
- Leveraging technology partners who can operate on top of your existing ecosystem without requiring additional labor or additional POS or tech integrations.
Tyler and Anne discuss all this and more, and it is a conversation sure to open your mind and leave you thinking about entirely new ways to approach your strategy amid inflationary pressures.
For more information on Upside, head to https://www.upside.com/
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This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
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In today's Omni Talk Retail Fast Five Podcast, sponsored by Microsoft, the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Takeoff, and Sezzle, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discussed:
- The aftermath of Kohl’s proposed deal with the Franchise Group falling through
- The curious case of what look like egregious share buybacks at Bed Bath & Beyond
- TikTok reportedly getting out of livestream commerce in the U.S. and the U.K.
- Ulta Beauty’s new pop-up inside of Allure’s SoHo store
- And closed with a look at Amazon’s baller, no-risk move to invest in Grubhub
There’s all that, plus Jello cake, ripstop pants, and kickboxing classes with Minka Kelly.
To learn more about the A&M Consumer & Retail Group, visit: www.alvarezandmarsal-crg.com/
To learn more about Takeoff, visit: www.takeoff.com/
To learn more about Sezzle, visit: www.sezzle.com/
Plus, check out our Top 10 ranking in Feedspot’s 60 Top Retail Podcasts: blog.feedspot.com/retail_podcasts/
Music by hooksounds.com
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
In today's Omni Talk Retail Fast Five Podcast, sponsored by Microsoft, the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Takeoff, and Sezzle, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga:
- Took another victory lap on their long held position that Mark Tritton’s tenure at Bed Bath & Beyond would be short-lived.
- Highlighted the importance of Trigo’s second autonomous grocery store implementation with Rewe in Berlin, which places it squarely in the lead as the “non-Amazon” option in the battle for checkout-free grocery retailing.
- Lauded Amazon for rolling out a new analytics platform for CPGs that works off its own “Just Walk Out” technology.
- Praised Gap for doing something every retailer should do – i.e. invest in lab stores.
- And closed with a question about just how far up the leadership ladder Walmart’s FTC troubles over money transfers could go.
There’s all that, plus muscle biopsies, fake tanning on a budget, and Anne’s new favorite alcoholic beverage that can only be described as a “Hot Mezz.”
To learn more about the A&M Consumer & Retail Group, visit: www.alvarezandmarsal-crg.com/
To learn more about Takeoff, visit: www.takeoff.com/
To learn more about Sezzle, visit: www.sezzle.com/
Plus, check out our Top 10 ranking in Feedspot’s 60 Top Retail Podcasts: https://blog.feedspot.com/retail_podcasts/
Music by hooksounds.com
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
Cannes, one of the biggest events for marketers around the world, just held its annual festival doling out awards to the best and brightest in the industry and Omni Talk Retail is bringing you a full recap, minus the super yachts, of course.
Omni Talk Retail asked Firework’s Chief Revenue Officer Jeff Lucas to provide a recap, and more importantly, his advice for retail marketers on making Cannes-worthy creative for the latest installment of our Live Ask An Expert Series on LinkedIn.
Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga probed Jeff on:
- Why retailers and brands should have Cannes on their radar
- The top trends coming out of Cannes and how to put them into action in your organization
- Why more-and-more awards are going to big impact initiatives with lesser investment and how livestreaming can help
- Emerging platforms and entertainment commerce
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It is a conversation sure to open your mind and leave you thinking about entirely new ways to produce content in an affordable and effective way.
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
In today's Omni Talk Retail Fast Five Podcast, sponsored by Microsoft, the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Takeoff, and Sezzle, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga had a blast:
- Taking a victory lap on Amazon’s price positioning in Amazon Fresh stores.
- Opening our minds to GNC's new food delivery service.
- Lauding Simon, after slagging it last week, for something it is calling “Simon Search.”
- Sounding alarm bells (that likely only our loyal Omni Talk fans will hear) on Amazon’s second Style store that is coming soon to Columbus, OH.
- And closed with a right proper debate on how cool Walmart's partnership with Roku really is.
There’s all that, plus favorite vacation drinks, the last time Anne took down a full box of Kraft Mac & Cheese, and the over/under on how many angry gun toting residents will actually shoot down Amazon's drones.
To learn more about Microsoft, visit: www.microsoft.com/en-us/industry/r…cloud-for-retail
To learn more about the A&M Consumer & Retail Group, visit: www.alvarezandmarsal-crg.com/
To learn more about Takeoff, visit: www.takeoff.com/
To learn more about Sezzle, visit: www.sezzle.com/
Plus, check out our ranking in Feedspot’s 45 Top Retail Podcasts: blog.feedspot.com/retail_podcasts/
Music by hooksounds.com
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
In this week’s Fast Five podcast, sponsored by Microsoft, the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Takeoff, and Sezzle, A&M's Chad Lusk and Truett Horne join Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga to debate:
- The significance of Walmart's new automated fulfillment centers
- Target's recent earnings warning
- Simon's new "National Outlet Shopping Day"
- Sam's Club charging regular old Sam's Club members for curbside pickup
- And Amazon trying to one-up Walmart with its own drone announcement this week
There's all that, plus racy review reads, fancy airport bottled water, and tacos with Kevin Durant.
To learn more about Microsoft, visit: www.microsoft.com/en-us/industry/r…cloud-for-retail
To learn more about the A&M Consumer & Retail Group, visit: www.alvarezandmarsal-crg.com/
To learn more about Takeoff, visit: www.takeoff.com/
To learn more about Sezzle, visit: www.sezzle.com/
Plus, check out our ranking in Feedspot’s 45 Top Retail Podcasts: blog.feedspot.com/retail_podcasts/
Music by hooksounds.com
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
In the latest edition of the Omni Talk Retail Spotlight Series, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga sit down with Talkdesk's VP Global Industry Strategy for Retail & Consumer Goods and fellow Top 100 Retail Influencer Shannon Flanagan.
Together the three of them discuss:
- The role of retailers to provide great product and great service
- The dwindling use of the "secret shop"
- Creating experiences that make your customers happy, when pre-purchase customer service is now just as important as post-purchase service
- How navigating 10 screens to handle a customer service issue is absolutely untenable
- And, why real-time cloud-based solutions that drive better customer service are now a bona fide weapon of brand differentiation
Music by hooksounds.com
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
In today's Omni Talk Retail Fast Five Podcast, sponsored by Microsoft, the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Takeoff, and Sezzle, Anne Mezzenga and Chris Walton went deep on:
- Dollar General’s self-checkout only pilot
- Brookfield and Sephora’s new “curbcierge” service
- UPS acquiring Delivery Solutions
- Tortoise’s remote-controlled store on wheels at the Mall of America
- And closed with a look at Old Navy’s decision to cut back on its more inclusive sizing strategy
There’s all that, plus burrito tape, dining out in the Metaverse, and hurling sweet treats to defile priceless works of art.
To learn more about Microsoft, visit: www.microsoft.com/en-us/industry/r…cloud-for-retail
To learn more about the A&M Consumer & Retail Group, visit: www.alvarezandmarsal-crg.com/
To learn more about Takeoff, visit: www.takeoff.com/
To learn more about Sezzle, visit: www.sezzle.com/
Plus, check out our ranking in Feedspot’s 45 Top Retail Podcasts: blog.feedspot.com/retail_podcasts/
Music by hooksounds.com
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
In today's take no prisoners Omni Talk Retail Fast Five Podcast, sponsored by Microsoft, the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Takeoff, and Sezzle, Anne Mezzenga and Chris Walton:
- Give their very early take on Amazon's new Amazon Style store.
- Lambast Walmart from the high heavens for its drone announcement this week.
- Laud Firework for its recent $150 million investment round, as it continues to push the boundaries and lead the way in livestream commerce.
- Question whether Wayfair chose the right brand with which to debut its latest physical store concept.
- And discuss whether the Nordstrom and Trunk Club marriage was doomed from the start.
There's all that, plus pre-show fights, Pepsi in your pepperoni, and the pure testosterone that is Jon Hamm selling Yeti mugs.
To learn more about Microsoft, visit: www.microsoft.com/en-us/industry/r…cloud-for-retail
To learn more about the A&M Consumer & Retail Group, visit: www.alvarezandmarsal-crg.com/
To learn more about Takeoff, visit: www.takeoff.com/
To learn more about Sezzle, visit: www.sezzle.com/
Plus, check out our ranking in Feedspot’s 45 Top Retail Podcasts: blog.feedspot.com/retail_podcasts/
Music by hooksounds.com
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
Livestreaming, and specifically Firework, was the #1 hot topic coming out of Shoptalk this year.
So Omni Talk Retail invited Firework CEO and Co-Founder Vincent Yang back to provide his mid-year report on the state of livestreaming across retail for the latest installment of our Ask An Expert Series.
Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga get Vincent’s thoughts on:
- What changes he is seeing in retailers’ approaches to livestreaming
- Whether retailers are heeding his past advice of streaming on their own platforms, shying away from overproduction, and leveraging their store associates for authenticity
- Where he thinks the industry and Firework are headed next
- And what he and his company plan to do with the $150 million dollars they just raised
It is a conversation sure to blow your mind and leave you thinking about entirely new ways to localize your in-store and digital experiences around the communities they serve.
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
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