Hello Omni Talk Fans! It's time for our FAVORITE episode of the year. Our annual Retail Awards show!

This week, Anne and I were joined by Chad Lusk from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer and Retail Group to hand out hardware for everything from Retailer of the Year to Most Laughable Headline (and trust me, there were some doozies).

Here's a taste of what you can expect in this year's award show:

• Retailer of the Year: Chad makes a compelling case for Aldi's 225-store expansion spree, while Anne and I debate Walmart vs. Costco supremacy.
• The Big Walmart Moment: Why the ChatGPT integration announcement might be the most important retail headline of 2025, even though none of us know what it means yet.
• Most Overhyped Tech: Plot twist! Both Chad AND I picked agentic AI commerce. Not because it's not important, but because retailers are rushing in "digging around in the dark without a flashlight."
• Technology Winners: Electronic shelf labels are finally having their moment, AI-powered pricing transparency could upend grocery competition, and operational AI is where the smartest retailers are placing their bets.
• Doug McMillon's Victory Lap: We pay homage to the man who transformed Walmart from a "legacy retailer struggling with e-commerce" into a company that regularly beats Amazon at its own game.
• Gap's Comeback: Chad celebrates their viral milkshake denim ad as proof that the brand is back in the cultural conversation (cue 90s nostalgia).
• Our 2026 Crystal Ball: Will OpenAI launch ads and payment platforms? Will Starbucks finally embrace ghost cafes? Or will agentic commerce explode during next year's holiday season?

You will just have to listen to find out!

Listen to This Week’s Fast Five Podcast

Be careful out there,

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

P.S. Why can't a nose be 12 inches long?

Because then it would be a foot.