Retail Fast Five

It’s lightning round time, and Chris Walton and guest host Josh Hahn tackle some of life's most pressing questions, from choosing whether Sports Authority or Meijer prepared Josh better for recruiting, to the exact AI superpower Chris wishes he had for his morning routine.

Plus, they debate the best QSR to add to Walmart's restaurant tab and establish a non-negotiable rule for airport etiquette.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/089y7s8PKCE

Kroger has trimmed its full-year same-store sales outlook even as digital e-commerce and retail media continue to see strong double-digit growth.

Chris Walton and Josh Hahn discuss the state of traditional grocery and what shrinking sales forecasts mean when digital layers are the primary bright spots.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/089y7s8PKCE

SKIMS has teamed up with DoorDash for its first-ever on-demand delivery partnership, making thousands of styles available from select U.S. stores in under an hour.

Chris Walton and Josh Hahn discuss whether instant delivery helps or hurts a brand whose entire appeal has been built around exclusivity and hype.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/089y7s8PKCE

Amazon has significantly expanded its Prime Video shopping features, growing its "Shop the Show" tool from 1,300 titles to more than 8,000 while adding new visual search capabilities.

Chris Walton and Josh Hahn discuss whether shoppable TV is finally reaching scale or if it risks ruining the core entertainment experience.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/089y7s8PKCE

Macy’s has posted its fifth consecutive quarter of comparable-sales growth, beating Wall Street estimates and raising its full-year guidance as CEO Tony Spring's turnaround strategy takes hold.

Chris Walton and Josh Hahn discuss whether it's finally time to plant the victory flag at Macy's, or if there is still too much heavy lifting left to do on the core brand.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/089y7s8PKCE

Walmart has added Papa Johns to Walmart Express Delivery, making it the first national restaurant brand fulfilled entirely from locations outside of Walmart stores.

Chris Walton and guest host Josh Hahn discuss whether Walmart’s latest move is a clever way to bring customers into the app more often, or if they are solving a need that consumers never actually asked for.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/089y7s8PKCE

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 J Recruiting’s Josh Hahn for another round of Fast Five fun, recorded from Chris’s very tiny Paris hotel room across the street from NRF Europe. This week’s episode can best be summed up as . . . better ingredients, better pizza, better delivery via Walmart.

Chris and Josh dig into five of the biggest stories in retail this week, including:

• Walmart adding Papa Johns to W...

It’s lightning round time, and Chris Walton and Shelley Huff are making some very important decisions, from their Super Bowl picks to choosing between Genie and Samantha and naming the Adam Sandler movie they’d keep forever.

Plus, one very specific wish involving a dog that may or may not be possible.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/x4hGqvRTilY

Sprouts has named Nick Konat as its next CEO, with the leadership transition set to take effect in January 2027.

Chris Walton and Shelley Huff discuss what Konat should focus on as he takes the reins, from staying disciplined on the retailer’s existing strategy to executing the roadmap already in motion.

The big question: Does Sprouts need a new strategy, or simply a new leader to execute the one it already has?

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/x4hGqvRTilY

Sephora is testing monthly exclusive product drops on TikTok Shop, giving the beauty retailer another way to create demand and build community around new products.

Chris Walton and Shelley Huff discuss how TikTok Shop differs from Amazon, and why the platform may be more valuable for creating demand than simply capturing it.

The big question: Can TikTok Shop turn product drops into a repeatable retail habit?

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/x4hGqvRTilY

Costco has quietly shut down Costco Next, its member-only online marketplace that connected shoppers with products from outside brands.

Chris Walton and Shelley Huff discuss why Costco’s club model may not translate neatly to a marketplace business, and what the move says about where Costco wants to focus its digital strategy.

The big question: Does Costco really need a marketplace when its core model is already working?

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/x4hGqvRTilY

Ulta is facing backlash over its use of Flock Safety’s automated license plate reader technology, raising bigger questions about transparency, communication, and how retailers handle technology that can impact their customers.

Chris Walton and Shelley Huff discuss whether the bigger problem is the technology itself or the way Ulta communicated its use of it.

The big question: When retailers use controversial technology, how much transparency do customers deserve?

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/x4hGqvRTilY

Amazon is bringing back its digital grocery pop-up for Labor Day, but the bigger question is what these short-term grocery pushes actually accomplish for the retailer.

Chris Walton and Shelley Huff discuss whether Amazon’s grocery pop-ups are a smart way to build share and stay top of mind, or just another temporary promotion in an increasingly crowded grocery market.

The big question: Is Amazon building a grocery business, or just building grocery moments?

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here:https://youtu.be/x4hGqvRTilY

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, Shelley Huff is back again, joining Chris Walton for another round of Fast Five fun. The former Serta Simmons CEO and Walmart executive, now CEO and Co-Founder of the Interval, joins Chris to discuss:

• Amazon’s latest limited-time grocery storefront for Labor Day and whether these smaller, occasion-based sales events are smart incremental share-building moves or just a gimmick that doesn’t move the needle. (Source)

• Ulta Beauty’s social med...

Chris Walton and Ben Miller put Michael Prendergast and Ken Davidson on the Fast Five lightning round hot seat, covering everything from Super Bowl predictions and favorite types of pie to the return of Cole Trickle in a Days of Thunder sequel.

Plus, Ken reveals the one and only tattoo he would ever get.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/NXUUmuwrX2Q

Amazon is reportedly exploring Project Tetromino, an internal initiative aimed at building fully automated delivery stations and bringing even more robotics into the last mile.

The Fast Five crew discusses whether full automation is inevitable, how quickly Amazon could make it happen, and why the company appears hesitant to publicly own its automation ambitions.

Because when Amazon already has more than a million robots deployed, the question may not be if automation is coming, but just how fast.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/NXUUmuwrX2Q

Stripe believes the traditional online checkout page is on its way out as AI agents and agentic commerce begin to reshape how consumers shop.

Michael Prendergast, Ken Davidson, Ben Miller, and Chris Walton discuss what happens when the purchasing process becomes increasingly machine-led, from eliminating friction and clicks to completely rethinking promotions, pricing, and how retailers compete for transactions.

The big question: Are retailers ready for a world where machines may increasingly shop for consumers?

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/NXUUmuwrX2Q

Sur La Table has entered the resale game with Second Servings, a new peer-to-peer marketplace for kitchenware, home goods, and dining products.

The Fast Five crew debates whether the marketplace is a smart, low-lift opportunity or simply a distraction that won't generate enough traffic to move the needle. And after taking a closer look at the platform, Ben Miller raises another interesting question: is this really a peer-to-peer marketplace, or a new way for Sur La Table to sell discounted and returned merchandise?

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/NXUUmuwrX2Q

Target is launching Target Beauty Studio with more than 1,600 products from 90 brands, including more than two-thirds that are brand new to Target.

But can this new beauty destination successfully fill the space left behind by Ulta? Chris Walton, Ben Miller, Michael Prendergast, and Ken Davidson debate whether Target's future in beauty depends on finding the next big brands, creating the right assortment, or proving that its merchandising team can still deliver.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/NXUUmuwrX2Q

Walmart is expanding its restaurant delivery ambitions beyond the Subway locations inside its stores, and the Fast Five crew thinks this could become much more than just a grocery delivery add-on.

Ken Davidson sees it primarily as a logical bolt-on, while Michael Prendergast, Ben Miller, and Chris Walton argue Walmart's massive store footprint, delivery density, and potential drone capabilities could eventually make it a much bigger threat to DoorDash and Uber Eats.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/NXUUmuwrX2Q

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 was joined by Michael Prendergast and Ken Davidson of the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, along with Ben Miller, Founder & Editor-in-Chief of GrocerTalk, to discuss:

• Walmart’s plans to expand restaurant delivery beyond its own Subway locations and whether its massive store footprint could make it a real competitor to DoorDash and Uber Eats. (Source)

• Target’s new Beauty Studio, launching in more than 600 stores, and whethe...

Chris Walton puts Joe Laszlo, Head of Content & Insights, U.S. at Shoptalk, in the Fast Five lightning round, covering everything from the great pineapple-on-pizza debate and their favorite retail commercials of all time to the most extravagant purchases they can justify on a time-per-dollar basis.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/Di1g7tZTEmI

Ann Taylor is making a major push to reinvent its brand through Substack, storytelling, and a new fall fashion blitz.

Chris Walton and Joe Laszlo, Head of Content & Insights, U.S. at Shoptalk, discuss whether the strategy can help Ann Taylor reconnect with modern consumers and what other legacy retail brands can learn from moving beyond traditional advertising to build deeper relationships with their audiences.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/Di1g7tZTEmI

California Pizza Kitchen wants to put its pizzas in a lot more places, with plans to expand its automated kiosk business to 1,000 locations.

Chris Walton and Joe Laszlo, Head of Content & Insights, U.S. at Shoptalk, discuss whether automated food kiosks could open up an entirely new growth channel for restaurant brands and what happens when the restaurant experience becomes less about the restaurant itself.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/Di1g7tZTEmI

J.C. Penney is taking aim at the off-price retail market, but Chris Walton and Joe Laszlo aren't convinced the strategy is necessarily the right move.

Joe Laszlo, Head of Content & Insights, U.S. at Shoptalk, joins Chris to debate whether J.C. Penney can successfully compete with off-price retailers or whether the company risks losing focus on what it should actually be doing to win back customers.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/Di1g7tZTEmI

Home Depot is taking same-day delivery nationwide with a new promise to get orders to customers in as little as three hours.

Chris Walton and Joe Laszlo, Head of Content & Insights, U.S. at Shoptalk, discuss what the move says about the growing expectations around delivery speed and whether faster fulfillment can become a meaningful competitive advantage in home improvement retail.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/Di1g7tZTEmI

Target is showing signs of improvement, but is the retailer actually turning the corner?

Chris Walton is joined by Joe Laszlo, Head of Content & Insights, U.S. at Shoptalk, to debate Target's latest results, including stronger sales, grocery growth, improved store traffic, and a raised outlook. But after a difficult stretch, the bigger question remains: is this a genuine turnaround or simply a bounce off weak comparisons?

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/Di1g7tZTEmI

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 was joined by Joe Laszlo, Head of Content & Insights, U.S., Shoptalk, to discuss:

• Target’s latest results, including stronger sales, rising traffic, grocery growth, and a raised full-year outlook, and whether the retailer is truly turning the corner or still lacks the differentiated strategy needed to sustain its momentum. (Source)

• Home Depot’s nationwide rollout of three-hour delivery, and whether the retailer is smartly getting ahead of c...

Chris Walton puts Jenn Hahn in the Fast Five lightning round, covering everything from Stella Lefty and back-to-school shopping to Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies, fantasy football picks, and plenty more retail-free fun.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/VL3Q373gkfY

TikTok Shop is reportedly testing a paid Shop Plus membership that could offer free shipping, discounts, and coupons as the platform looks to keep shoppers from leaving for Amazon.

Chris Walton and Jenn Hahn discuss whether TikTok’s rapid growth and social-first shopping experience could make Shop Plus a genuine threat to Amazon’s ecosystem.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/VL3Q373gkfY

Amazon says more than 350 million shoppers have used Alexa for shopping over the past year, with active users nearly doubling and customer interactions increasing fivefold.

Chris Walton and Jenn Hahn discuss whether Amazon is best positioned to move AI shopping beyond discovery and recommendations into actual purchasing and transactions.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/VL3Q373gkfY

Ahold Delhaize USA is expanding its Savings Station discount kiosks to every Giant Food location, giving shoppers a physical way to access digital coupons, personalized offers, and loyalty rewards in-store.

Chris Walton and Jenn Hahn discuss whether kiosks can still bridge the gap between physical grocery shopping and digital personalization in 2026.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/VL3Q373gkfY

Best Buy’s incoming CEO says the retailer’s path to growth starts with smaller-format stores that can reach markets its traditional big-box locations cannot.

Chris Walton and Jenn Hahn debate whether smaller stores can improve productivity and expand Best Buy’s footprint or whether the math makes meaningful long-term growth too difficult.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/VL3Q373gkfY

Kroger has named Nate Faust, a former Walmart and Jet.com executive, as its first chief e-commerce officer, creating a new leadership role focused exclusively on its digital business.

Chris Walton and Jenn Hahn debate whether the move signals a smart investment in Kroger’s e-commerce growth or an organizational step backward from the industry’s broader push toward omnichannel retail.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/VL3Q373gkfY

In this week's OmniTalk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Quorso, Veloq, and R&S Logistics, Chris Walton was joined by Jenn Hahn of J Recruiting Services to discuss:

• Kroger's appointment of Nate Faust as its first-ever Chief E-Commerce Officer, and whether creating a dedicated e-commerce leadership role signals Kroger is doubling down on digital or falling behind the industry's move toward omnichannel. (Source)

• Best Buy's plan to grow through smaller-format stores, and whether shrinking the footprint can actually create meaningful growth or simply spread the reta...

Chris Walton puts Josh Hahn in the Fast Five lightning round, covering everything from National Tequila Day and Shark Week to John Cena's hair transplants, America's best fast-food fries, and plenty more retail-free fun.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/_GsTHL9DBYA

Albertsons is restructuring its business through its new ACI Edge initiative while lowering its financial outlook for the year.

Chris Walton and Josh Hahn discuss whether centralizing merchandising and operations is the right move, why regional grocers face mounting competitive pressure, and what Albertsons must do to remain relevant in today's grocery landscape.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/_GsTHL9DBYA

Hy-Vee has rolled out 30-minute pickup and delivery across all of its stores with its new "Get It Faster" service.

Chris Walton and Josh Hahn debate whether ultra-fast grocery fulfillment is still a competitive advantage or simply the new baseline as Walmart, Amazon, and other retailers continue raising customer expectations.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/_GsTHL9DBYA

U.S. grocery unit sales declined for the fifth consecutive month, raising new questions about the long-term health of the grocery industry.

Chris Walton and Josh Hahn discuss what's driving the slowdown, from inflation and SNAP changes to GLP-1 medications, online grocery, and shifting consumer shopping habits.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/_GsTHL9DBYA

David's Bridal has launched a new outlet shop-in-shop concept, combining discounted dresses with its traditional bridal shopping experience.

Chris Walton and Josh Hahn debate whether luxury and value can successfully coexist under one roof, why bridal retail is different from traditional apparel, and how thoughtful merchandising could make this concept a winner.

▶️ Watch the full Fast Five episode here: https://youtu.be/_GsTHL9DBYA