Episode 210

full
Published on:

25th Jan 2025

Fast Five Shorts | A "Gentle Rollercoaster" Lightning Round

In the latest edition of Omni Talk’s Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Ocampo Capital and Scratch Event DJs Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga are joined by co-hosts from the Alvarez & Marsal Consumer & Retail Group, Kelly Carey and John Clear. In this clip, the group discusses: A "Gentle Rollercoaster" Lightning Round

For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/s3yeI48E9A0



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Transcript
Speaker A:

Walmart not only is dominating all of our retail headlines today, but they're also requiring employees to return to the office in Bentonville this month.

Speaker A:

And to welcome them back, they just opened a brand new designed campus which features a fitness center, a store layout center, an amphitheater, a daycare for up to 500 children, among many other things.

Speaker A:

I want to know, Kelly, what would you want included if A and M was designing a new headquarters for you?

Speaker B:

Great question.

Speaker B:

I would certainly take all those things that, that Walmart's setting up.

Speaker B:

Are their employees the two that you didn't mention, which out.

Speaker B:

Adam.

Speaker B:

Sucker for a luxury fancy coffee.

Speaker B:

So if there's free lattes, you know, you'll keep me in the building for, you know, an extra hour on both ends of the day and then going to go doggy daycare.

Speaker B:

For those of us who are not in the the child population, doggy daycare would go a long way.

Speaker A:

They might even have those things, I think just that they ran out of space in the article.

Speaker A:

Who knows?

Speaker A:

Who knows?

Speaker C:

Yeah, they probably do, knowing them.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

All right.

Speaker C:

All right, John, this next one I picked out just for you, a Waymo Taxi recently got stuck in a never ending roundabout near the Phoenix airport, a la European vacation.

Speaker C:

As our resident European on this show, and for those interested, my first roundabout experience was in Ireland.

Speaker C:

What recommendations do you have for us Yankees here in terms of navigating a roundabout effectively?

Speaker D:

First of all, before I ask the question, did you watch the video of the guy in the Waymo Taxi?

Speaker D:

It's like, it's crazy.

Speaker D:

And he's like on the call with the customer service being like, how do I stop this car?

Speaker D:

It's like running a circle, so you should look it up.

Speaker D:

He also works in AI, which is kind of funny.

Speaker D:

So, so just as.

Speaker C:

Oh, that's hilarious.

Speaker C:

Really?

Speaker C:

Oh my God.

Speaker D:

Yeah.

Speaker D:

Yeah.

Speaker D:

So he was like, I'm never taking one of these again.

Speaker D:

So my recommendation for, for roundabouts, which I mentioned to you guys already, is a little bit of a passion of mine.

Speaker D:

I treat it like a four way stop sign, right?

Speaker D:

So when you come to the roundabout, you stop, you see where other people are coming from.

Speaker D:

And then if there's nobody coming, you go.

Speaker D:

If you're turning right, you indicate right.

Speaker D:

If you're going to the other side of the roundabout, you're indicating left.

Speaker D:

It's a four way stop sign with a circle in the middle.

Speaker D:

That's all you need to think about.

Speaker D:

Don't over complicate it.

Speaker A:

Love it.

Speaker C:

Yet Americans can't figure it out.

Speaker A:

Yeah, I know.

Speaker A:

We're still.

Speaker A:

We're still working on it.

Speaker A:

John, you get question number three as well.

Speaker A:

tes to start a business in in:

Speaker A:

If you were to start a business in Florida this year, what kind of business would it be?

Speaker D:

Yeah, I was kind of torn on this one, to be honest.

Speaker D:

I had two different ideas, so I'm going to put them both out there.

Speaker A:

Okay, we'll take one.

Speaker D:

Is like an alligator based, like boutique.

Speaker D:

So they sell like alligator skin handbags and all that kind of stuff.

Speaker D:

Right.

Speaker D:

Which is kind of like local.

Speaker D:

But the other one, the more I thought about is like what's synonymous with Florida.

Speaker D:

And it's like old people, I mean, to be kind of blunt.

Speaker D:

So what you really want is kind of a.

Speaker D:

Like a theme park for older people.

Speaker D:

So kind of like Disneyland, but for older people.

Speaker D:

So like gentle roller coasters.

Speaker D:

You know, like a track where they can go around on their.

Speaker D:

And they're golf simulator.

Speaker D:

Yeah, exactly.

Speaker D:

You're a golf simulator.

Speaker D:

But it's like, I think that's what they're missing in Florida.

Speaker D:

And I think you'd make a lot.

Speaker C:

I mean, I've been fishing, like amusement park rides that are like a massage chair.

Speaker C:

Like that's what you do.

Speaker D:

Gentle roller, gentle for people's hearts, you know, that's what you're looking.

Speaker D:

Yes.

Speaker C:

Oh, my God.

Speaker C:

Oh, my God.

Speaker C:

And the alligator store.

Speaker C:

I could definitely sink my teeth into that.

Speaker C:

All right, Kelly.

Speaker C:

Last one.

Speaker C:

Liquid deaths Pit Diaper, priced at $75, is reportedly flying off shelves following a viral bathroom incident at a recent San Francisco concert at $75.

Speaker C:

And as an esteemed retail consultant, do you think the pit diaper is underpriced, overpriced, or properly priced?

Speaker B:

You know, I was sad to Google pit diaper.

Speaker B:

That was a wild visual to start my day.

Speaker C:

But it is worth to do though.

Speaker C:

It is worth the dude.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker B:

It proceed with caution.

Speaker B:

I would say appropriately price if it's flying off the shelf, you know, keep going with it, guys.

Speaker B:

You know, a diaper, I had to look this up to see, you know, what is just a regular diaper cost nowadays.

Speaker B:

It's.

Speaker B:

It's probably double the cost of a adult diaper 30 pack.

Speaker B:

So it's definitely expensive.

Speaker B:

But you know, it's got the chains, it's got the pleather, and people will spend a lot of money for that kind of rave gear.

Speaker B:

That's not my.

Speaker B:

My personal shopping space.

Speaker B:

But I think as long as they can ride this high, keep doing it.

Speaker C:

So you think it's right price.

Speaker C:

No reason to raise the price.

Speaker C:

Get any more margin and I could see you wearing one of these because you're a frequent concert goer.

Speaker C:

What do you think?

Speaker C:

Could you.

Speaker D:

Could.

Speaker A:

Could we see you wearing one of.

Speaker C:

These at a future?

Speaker A:

No way.

Speaker A:

I am too old.

Speaker A:

I This.

Speaker A:

I am too old for this.

Speaker A:

I'm not in the pit anymore.

Speaker A:

I am.

Speaker A:

I am.

Speaker A:

I am paying the extra money for the VIP tickets with their own bathroom.

Speaker A:

Chris.

Speaker D:

I am.

Speaker A:

I'm so beyond pit diapers.

Speaker A:

Maybe back in my 20s, but.

Speaker B:

And the pit diaper appears to be, like, worn as pants as well, you know, it's under your clothes.

Speaker B:

It is no fit.

Speaker B:

So it's for the bold of heart.

Speaker B:

For sure.

Speaker A:

I'm gonna be.

Speaker A:

I'm gonna be going away from the people wearing pit diapers.

Speaker A:

Let me just tell you that it's not gonna smell great.

Speaker A:

I have a feeling you're too old for the pit.

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About the Podcast

Omni Talk Retail
Omni Talk Retail provides news, analysis, and commentary on the latest trends and issues in the retail industry
Omni Talk Retail provides news, analysis, and commentary on the latest trends and issues in the retail industry. It covers a wide range of topics related to retail, including e-commerce, technology, marketing, and consumer behavior. The podcast regularly features industry experts, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga, as well as retail thought leaders who all share their insights and perspectives on the latest developments in retail.

About your hosts

Anne Mezzenga

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Anne Mezzenga is an entrepreneurial Marketing Executive with nearly 20 years in the retail, experience design, and technology industries.

Currently, she is one of the founders and Co-CEOs of Omni Talk.

Prior to her latest ventures, Anne was most recently the Head of Marketing and Partnerships for Target’s Store of the Future project. Early in her career, Anne worked as a producer for advertising agencies, Martin Williams and Fallon, and as a producer and reporter for news affiliates NBC New York and KMSP Minneapolis.

Anne holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.

When Anne is not busy blogging, podcasting, or sharing her expertise with clients, she loves spending time with her husband and two boys and partaking in all the Minneapolis food scene has to offer.

Chris Walton

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