Retail Technology Spotlight Series

Omni Talk Retail

Omni Talk Retail's Chris Walton sits down with the people and the companies building the technologies that will shape the future of retail.

  1. Radios Are Dead and Here Is What Comes Next for Retail Store Ops

    29 juin

    Radios Are Dead and Here Is What Comes Next for Retail Store Ops

    In this Retail Technology Spotlight series, Chris Walton sits down with Soroosh Seyhoon, Chief Revenue Officer at Zello, to explore how capturing and analyzing frontline voice data is transforming the way retailers understand and manage store operations. From AI-powered in-ear assistants to real-time operational intelligence, Soroosh explains why the conversations happening on the sales floor represent an untapped goldmine of data that most retailers are completely ignoring. Drawing from deployments across hundreds of store locations, Soroosh shares how Zello is helping retailers move beyond measuring outputs like sales and throughput to finally measuring the inputs, the frontline communications that drive those results. The conversation covers everything from reducing associate turnover and accelerating onboarding to auto-reporting safety incidents and uncovering hidden staffing inefficiencies hiding in plain sight. From digitizing push-to-talk communications to replacing two-device workflows with a single-pane-of-glass solution, this episode offers a practical roadmap for retailers ready to stop flying blind on what's actually happening on the floor and start building the connected store of the future. Key Topics Covered: 00:01:44 - The friction points plaguing store operations today and why "hearsay" is running retail00:05:40 - How voice data transforms store operations from outputs to inputs00:08:38 - Meet Ella: Zello's AI agent that answers associate questions in real time00:16:20 - Real-world examples: price check patterns, safety incidents, and broken buttons00:21:19 - Where retailers should start to get the biggest bang for their buck00:24:16 - What's next: proactive AI agents, PBX integration, and push to connect Over 8 years and nearly 200 episodes, the Retail Technology Spotlight Series has featured some of the biggest names and boldest thinkers in retail. Explore the full archive here: https://omnitalk.blog/category/spotlight-series-podcast/ Sponsored Content

    33 min
  2. GLP-1s and SNAP Changes Are Rewriting Grocery Merchandising | Spotlight Series

    26 mai

    GLP-1s and SNAP Changes Are Rewriting Grocery Merchandising | Spotlight Series

    In this Retail Technology Spotlight episode, Chris Walton sits down with Kevin Billings, Vice President of Business Development at Sifter Solutions, to unpack how GLP-1 medications, SNAP legislation, and nutrition focused merchandising are reshaping the future of grocery retail. From state-by-state SNAP restrictions to hyper personalized shopping experiences powered by nutrition data, Kevin explains why retailers can no longer afford to treat food intelligence as a niche capability. Drawing from decades of experience across the American Heart Association, Label Insight, NIQ, and Sifter, Kevin shares how retailers can use product level nutritional data to drive compliance, improve shopper experiences, and prepare for a future where health outcomes increasingly influence merchandising strategy. The conversation also explores how grocers can connect pharmacy, loyalty, and merchandising programs to serve shoppers using GLP-1 medications while differentiating themselves against competitors like Amazon and Walmart. From electronic shelf tags and personalized promotions to Arkansas’ statewide SNAP technology rollout, this episode offers a practical look at how retailers can prepare for the next era of food as medicine and nutrition driven retail innovation. Key Topics Covered: • 00:11:36 – How SNAP restriction waivers are changing grocery retail state by state • 00:15:57 – Why retailers need product level nutrition data for compliance and merchandising • 00:18:22 – Inside Arkansas’ first statewide SNAP shopper technology initiative • 00:24:25 – Why grocers should already be merchandising for GLP-1 shoppers • 00:31:53 – Kevin’s vision for the future of hyper personalized grocery shopping See our past 8 years of wonderful Spotlight Series podcast guests, featuring roughly 200 movers and shakers in retail, by clicking here. #retailtech #groceryretail #GLP1 #foodasmedicine #SNAP #retailinnovation #nutrition #AI #retailoperations #merchandising #loyalty #pharmacy #grocerytech #OmniTalk #retailpodcast *Sponsored Content*

    37 min
  3. Retail AI Is Moving Fast. Most Companies Aren’t Ready

    18 mai

    Retail AI Is Moving Fast. Most Companies Aren’t Ready

    In this Retail Technology Spotlight episode, Judah Berger, AI Product Manager at Unframe.ai, joins Omni Talk to explore one of the biggest questions facing retail leaders today: how do you actually implement AI across an organization without creating operational chaos? Judah works directly with enterprises to turn AI from an exciting concept into scalable systems that solve real business problems, helping companies identify inefficiencies, design AI powered workflows, and deploy solutions employees can actually trust and use. As companies rush to adopt tools like ChatGPT and Claude, Judah explains why unrestricted experimentation can unintentionally create an “Excel on steroids” problem, where disconnected prompts and workflows multiply inconsistencies across the business. From AI governance and workflow orchestration to SKU intelligence, predictive inventory management, and a real world footwear retail case study that generated a reported 40x ROI, this episode offers a practical roadmap for retailers looking to operationalize AI responsibly while still encouraging innovation across their teams. Key Topics Covered: • 00:01:56 – The four major approaches retailers can take toward AI implementation • 00:05:21 – Balancing bottom up AI experimentation with enterprise wide governance • 00:17:40 – How organizations should identify, scope, and scale the right AI use cases • 00:21:26 – The technology, auditability, and infrastructure needed for scalable enterprise AI • 00:26:58 – Case study: How a footwear retailer used AI inventory intelligence to achieve a reported 40x ROI See our past 8 years of wonderful Spotlight Series podcast guests, featuring roughly 200 movers and shakers in retail, by clicking here. #retailtech #AI #retailAI #inventorymanagement #retailoperations #SKUintelligence #supplychain #predictiveanalytics #enterpriseAI #generativeAI #retailinnovation #OmniTalk #retailpodcast #AIstrategy *Sponsored Content*

    41 min
  4. Half Your Ads Don't Work, So Here's How to Know Which Half Will

    21 avr.

    Half Your Ads Don't Work, So Here's How to Know Which Half Will

    In this Retail Technology Spotlight episode, Armen Mkrtchyan, CEO and co-founder of Extuitive, joins Omni Talk to tackle one of the oldest problems in advertising and to show how AI is finally cracking it. John Wanamaker famously said, "Half of my ads don't work. I just don't know which half." Nearly 200 years later, that problem hasn't gone away. It's actually gotten worse. Armen breaks down how Extuitive's AD Intelligence Engine uses a fusion of real consumer panel data (150,000 people, complete with purchase receipts) and brand-specific platform history to predict which ads will perform before you spend a single dollar launching them. If you're a retailer or brand marketer trying to make your ad spend work harder in a world drowning in AI-generated content, this episode is for you. 🔑 Topics covered: Why AI-generated personas push everyone toward the mean, and why that's a problem How Extuitive's fusion model combines real consumer data with brand-specific ad history The pre-validation approach: submit 200 ads, launch only the ones that will actually work How to optimize for awareness vs. conversion depending on your campaign goals What you need (6 months of ad history, ~250 ads) to get started 🎧 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more retail tech insights! #retailtech #digitaladvertising #retailmarketing #adspend #predictiveanalytics #omnitalk #retailai #contentmarketing #ROAS #retailpodcast #brandmarketing #Extuitive #metatiktokads #retailtechnology Music by hooksounds.com *Sponsored Content*

    35 min
  5. AI Is Finally Coming for One of Retail's Most Broken Jobs And It's About Time | Spotlight Series

    6 avr.

    AI Is Finally Coming for One of Retail's Most Broken Jobs And It's About Time | Spotlight Series

    In this Retail Technology Spotlight episode, Jeff Fish, co-CEO of Intelo.ai, and Noah Herschman, Head of Merchandise Strategy at Intello AI, join Omni Talk to tackle one of retail's most persistently under-teched problems: merchandise planning and allocation. From spreadsheet-driven chaos to agentic AI, Jeff and Noah break down why merchandise planning has been left behind by technology for nearly 30 years, how AI is finally changing that, and what retailers can actually do right now to drive real results — including a 47% reduction in stockouts and a 42% reduction in broken sizes. If you've ever wondered whether AI can finally make life better for merchandise planners, allocators, and buyers, this episode is for you. 🔑 Topics covered: Why merchandise planning has been "under-teched" for decadesThe art vs. science balance that makes AI transformation so hard — and so valuableHow agentic AI and agent-to-agent protocols are changing real-time planning collaborationWhy inventory rebalancing and size curve optimization are low-hanging fruit for luxury and specialty retailersHow Intelo.ai deploys in as little as three weeks — and what results look like 🎧 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more retail tech insights! #retailai #merchandiseplanning #retailtech #agenticai #omnitalk #supplychain #retailinnovation #inventoryoptimization #Inteloai #retailpodcast

    36 min
  6. How AI Can Tell You WHERE to Use AI in Your Retail Operations With Duvo CEO Tomáš Čupr

    30 mars

    How AI Can Tell You WHERE to Use AI in Your Retail Operations With Duvo CEO Tomáš Čupr

    In this Retail Technology Spotlight Series episode, Chris Walton sits down with duvo.ai CEO Tomáš Čupr to explore one of the most mind-bending ideas in AI today: not just how AI can improve retail operations, but how it can actually identify what in your operations should be improved in the first place. Drawing on Tomáš Čupr’s experience building Rohlik Group, a $1.5B+ pan-European e-grocer, and now leading duvo.ai, the conversation dives deep into the messy reality of retail operations, including fragmented systems, manual processes, and the hidden gaps leaders don’t even realize exist. From agentic process mapping and Duvo Clarity to autonomous operations and the future of hybrid human and AI teams, this episode challenges conventional thinking around digital transformation and offers a practical look at what it really takes to operationalize AI at scale. If you’re trying to understand where AI fits into your organization, how to uncover inefficiencies, or how to move beyond pilot purgatory into real execution, this conversation delivers a fresh and highly actionable perspective. Key Topics Covered: • 00:00:45 – Why AI should identify problems, not just solve them • 00:03:02 – Tomáš Čupr’s background building Rohlik Group • 00:04:51 – The origin of duvo.ai and challenges with retail automation • 00:07:50 – Why retail operations are too messy for traditional AI approaches • 00:11:07 – The reality that most leaders don’t actually know their own processes • 00:14:32 – Agentic process mapping and Duvo Clarity explained • 00:19:41 – How AI analyzes workflows and recommends improvements • 00:23:26 – Real-world examples including missed supplier follow-ups and margin leakage • 00:25:56 – Automating should-cost analysis across every SKU • 00:29:10 – The rise of self-improving, feedback-loop-driven retail systems • 00:33:20 – The future role of retail leaders managing agents, not just people • 00:41:28 – Why AI-native retailers could outpace legacy competitors • 00:44:57 – Where to start with AI: process first, not data 🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts. P.S. See our past 8 years of wonderful Spotlight Series podcast guests, featuring roughly 200 movers and shakers in retail, by clicking here: omnitalk.blog/category/spotlight-series-podcast/ #retailtech #retailAI #agenticAI #autonomousretail #processmapping #digitaltransformation #omnitalk #retailpodcast *Sponsored Content*

    48 min
  7. The First Real-Time Grocery Price Comparison App? Inside Grocery Dealz’ National Expansion

    24 févr.

    The First Real-Time Grocery Price Comparison App? Inside Grocery Dealz’ National Expansion

    In this Retail Technology Spotlight Series episode from Omni Talk Retail, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga welcome back Grocery Dealz co-CEOs Matt Goynes and Micheal Waldroup to unpack the rapid national expansion of their real-time grocery price comparison app. Now live in 40 states, Grocery Dealz enables consumers to compare grocery prices across retailers in real time before they shop and even push their lists directly into Instacart for delivery. The conversation dives into how the platform works, how pricing data is sourced, why retailers are paying attention, and what price transparency means for the future of grocery. From over-the-counter medicine and alcohol price swings to retail media monetization and API partnerships, this episode explores how comparison shopping could reshape consumer behavior... just as it did in travel and gas. With grocery bills rivaling plane tickets in weekly spend, is price transparency the next major retail disruption? Key Topics Covered: •What Grocery Dealz is and why it exists •The 3-step user experience: search, substitute, compare •Categories covered beyond center store (including OTC meds & alcohol) •How real-time grocery pricing data is sourced •Retailers’ response to price transparency •The Instacart integration and delivery convenience factor •How Grocery Dealz makes money (affiliate + retail media model) •Consumer adoption metrics and time spent in app •What’s coming next: live coupons and national growth •Can price comparison truly change grocery shopping behavior? Connect with the Guests: Matt Goynes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-goynes-65921368/ Micheal Waldroup: https://www.linkedin.com/in/micheal-waldroup-3a74b82b7/ #retailtech #grocerytech #pricetransparency #retailmedia #ecommerce #omnichannel #retailinnovation #retailpodcast #OmniTalkRetail

    26 min
  8. Why Your Retail AI Strategy Is Probably Wrong (And How to Fix It)

    9 févr.

    Why Your Retail AI Strategy Is Probably Wrong (And How to Fix It)

    In this Retail Technology Spotlight Series episode, Chris Walton sits down with Experion Technologies' Mahesh Vijayaraghavan (VP of Retail & Consumer Goods) and Siraj Alimohamed (Global Head of Data & AI) to cut through the AI hype. From platform-first strategies to the pilot fatigue epidemic, Mahesh and Siraj break down why AI is overhyped at the dashboard level but underappreciated where it matters most, i.e. in 6 a.m. inventory decisions and real-time store operations. Learn why building AI like a muscle beats treating it like a project, how to escape automation chaos, and why your digital experience is about to become your biggest competitive advantage. 🔑 Topics covered: Why AI is overhyped but underimplemented in retailPlatform-first approach vs. endless pilot programsInternal efficiency gains vs. consumer-facing AI investmentsProcess optimization before automation (avoid the 30-40% fat)How digital experience becomes differentiation in the AI eraAgentic AI that acts within guardrails, not just recommendsThe reinvestment strategy: internal savings to customer benefits 🎧 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more retail tech insights! #retailai #retailtech #omnitalk #digitalexperience #agenticai #retailinnovation #aiimplementation #experiontechnologies #retailpodcast #supplychain

    37 min
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Omni Talk Retail's Chris Walton sits down with the people and the companies building the technologies that will shape the future of retail.

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