Fast Five | Amazon Lets Rufus Out To Play, Macy’s Ends Its Talks & Walmart Exerts Media Dominance

Hello Omni Talk Fans! Sad news in the Walton household this week. I learned on Saturday morning that my 96 year-old grandfather, the great Richard Giudici, passed away unexpectedly overnight.

And so it is with great pride that Anne and I dedicate this week's podcast in his memory.

In this week's Fast Five Podcast, A&M's Mohit Mohal and Chris Disa joined Anne and me to discuss:

• Amazon rolling outs it generative AI assistant, “Rufus,” to all shoppers
• Walmart’s wide lead in retail media
• Macy’s ending its acquisition talks
• Hy-Vee rolling out ESLs with the VusionGroup
• And closed with a look at Petaluma, California’s new city-wide reusable cup pilot with Starbucks and many others

There’s all that, plus how AI could have improved our college dating lives, the inconsistent weights of Chipotle’s burrito bowls, and even more reasons to be scared about facial recognition.

Listen to This Week’s Fast Five Podcast

Be careful out there,

-- Chris, Anne, and the entire Omni Talk team

P.S. New webinar alert!

Everyone loves to talk about the latest retail trends, and the ubiquitous term “supply chain” also always gets bandied about. Yet little time is ever devoted to the marriage of the two.

Well, Anne and I have decided to change that and to ask, “How do the latest retail trends actually impact supply chains?”

We have asked Blake Neal, Director of Business Development at TGW Logistics, to join us for the next installment of our live Omni Talk Ask An Expert Series on LinkedIn to explore, in rapid fire succession, how retail’s hottest trends could indeed shape retail’s supply chains of the future.

You won't want to miss this one and can register by clicking here on the big image right below this sentence.