Omni Talk Retail Fast Five — “Amazon’s Same-Day Push, Warby & Why Ulta Won’t Be Target’s Last Shop-In-Shop Regret”
August 20, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Omni Talk Retail’s Fast Five, co-hosted by Anne Mezzenga and Chris Walton, dives into five major headlines shaking up the retail industry over the past two weeks. The hosts return from vacation to tackle Amazon’s expansion of same-day perishable delivery, Starbucks’ pivot away from mobile order-only stores, Warby Parker ending its Home Try-On, IKEA’s in-store partnership with Best Buy, and the dissolution of the Ulta-Target shop-in-shop partnership. Ben Miller of Shop Talk and Grocery Shop also joins for a short segment on key conference themes for Fall 2025.

Tone: Lively, direct, sometimes humorous and always candid.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Amazon Adds Perishables to Same-Day Delivery (05:46–11:44)

• Headline: Amazon Prime members in over 1,000 US cities can now order perishable foods for same-day delivery, with expansion plans to 2,300 cities by year’s end.
• Chris Walton’s Take (06:42–08:45):
  • Not a major threat to Walmart or Instacart. “Do consumers really want to combine their fresh orders with everything else they’re getting from Amazon?... Amazon Grocery doesn’t mean anything. It has no connotation for freshness, which is a big hurdle.” – Chris (07:25)
  • Points to obstacles: Walmart’s grocery legacy, Amazon’s lack of brand trust for perishables, logistic complexities (e.g., Amazon’s delivery trucks not designed for frozen).
• Anne Mezzenga’s Perspective (08:45–10:27):
  • Sees potential for a short-term dent but not a long-term threat, citing persistent “quality and reliability hurdles.”
  • Amazon’s higher price vs. Walmart+ and emerging search/buying habits favoring Walmart add to challenge.
• Notable Moment: Anecdotes of split Amazon deliveries show operational kinks. “Celia Van Wickle did a test order… tomatoes were in a separate delivery than some frozen things.” – Anne (11:16)
• Consensus: Amazon’s play is more a threat to Gopuff than Walmart/Instacart, with major logistical and reputational hurdles.

2. Starbucks Scraps Mobile Order Pickup-Only Stores (11:44–16:02)

• Headline: Starbucks is closing all locations devoted solely to mobile order pickup due to lack of “brand warmth.”
• Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol Quote (12:34): “We found that the format was overly transactional and lacking the warmth and human connection that defines our brand.”
• Anne’s Critique (12:47–14:25):
  • Disagrees with the pivot: “I think a better mobile experience is an absolute must... Not everyone needs coffee plus vibes, okay?”
  • Questions what the “right vibe” even is, calling out the vagueness of “bad vibes.”
• Chris’s Nuance (14:25–16:02):
  • Supports shutting them down, with caveats: Likens it to clearing the slate for a new prototype—expects some version to return, “but with an enhanced marketing vibe.”
  • On personal experience: “We went to the Penn Station store five years ago and I thought that felt really vibey.”
• Memorable Anne Riff (16:02): Imagines Niccol in “his brand new office in Newport Beach with his ‘good vibes only‘ T-shirt.”

3. Warby Parker Ends Home Try-On Program (16:50–20:46)

• Headline: Warby Parker will sunset its Home Try-On by end of year, citing proximity of customers to stores.
• Chris’s Analysis (16:50–18:38):
  • Questions the strategy: “If your stores are only in dense urban areas, yeah, [customers are] probably within 30 minutes.”
  • Sees the end of Home Try-On as a symptom of slow, constrained growth: “With that element gone, how different is Warby from another eyewear store? ... Virtual try-on—how gimmicky are they?”
• Anne’s Concerns (18:38–20:34):
  • A practical move financially, but “can they scale that great store experience... in a tightened labor market?”
  • Wonders if the Target partnership can drive enough new growth: “Will that Target partnership pay off for them? That’s going to be a big question.”
• Key Quote (Chris, 18:38): “Something just doesn’t smell right to me with this announcement.”

4. ShopTalk & Grocery Shop Conference Preview with Ben Miller (21:28–26:49)

• Main Themes for Shop Talk Fall (21:28–22:12):
  • Top focus: tariffs and AI, with deep sessions and leadership tracks for retail’s turbulent times.
  • Coverage also includes merchandising, loyalty, and brand-building.
• Grocery Shop Distinctions (22:17–23:17):
  • More global and sector-specific, with key topics: digital demand creation, efficiency, retail media, and consumer attitudes (e.g., GLP-1 drugs and “Make America Healthy Again”).
• AI’s Role in Grocery Retail (23:17–24:09):
  • Launching a “Test Kitchen” of practical, focused sessions on things like SEO in an AI world and AI for inventory/forecasting.
• Major Speakers (24:16–24:48):
  • Notables include Home Depot, Amazon, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Wayfair, Kroger, Whole Foods, and CEOs of Sprouts and Lidl.
• Key Takeaways:
  • Emphasis on practical leadership in turbulent times, the widespread impact of AI, and the critical importance of retail media.

5. IKEA Mini-Showrooms in Best Buy (28:14–32:59)

• Headline: IKEA launching kitchen and laundry mini-showrooms inside 10 Best Buys (Florida, Texas), including IKEA staff and fulfillment.
• Anne’s Position (28:14–30:31):
  • “I’m buying the pilot… Best Buy needs to stay relevant. Love this for the kitchen component.”
  • Cites value for budget-conscious, style-focused consumers, especially in an economic climate with high home improvement costs.
• Chris’s Skepticism (30:31–32:19):
  • “You’re overestimating the amount of product and design IKEA can showcase in a small shop-in-shop.”
  • Sees more friction for the consumer: “Net, net, it feels like a very expensive, over engineered branding exercise at best.”
• Disagreement: Anne believes kitchen remodelers want trendier options; Chris believes consumers ultimately still need full IKEA experience.

6. Ulta and Target Wind Down Shop-in-Shop (33:08–39:43)

• Headline: Ulta Beauty’s partnership with Target stores will end in August 2026, with both maintaining quality until then.
• Put You on the Spot Question (33:55):
  • Does this signal retailers need to prioritize standalone experience, or does it reveal how deep Target’s struggles are?
• Chris’s Take (34:15–35:18):
  • “It signals both, quite frankly.” Notes Target stock dip with new CEO and “crapping the bed” on Ulta partnership.
  • Insightful quote (36:18): “You have to tread carefully into them and you have to ask yourself the question: Are you a mall or are you a retailer?... Target overtly tried to become a mall.”
  • Predicts further fallout, especially due to parallel move with CVS losing “food is medicine” traffic in the pharmacy category.
  • Shares a sharp industry quote: “Brian Cornell wouldn’t understand my strategy if I wrote it down and handed it to him on a cocktail napkin.” (36:29)
• Anne’s Reflection (36:56–38:51):
  • “I’m really bummed this is happening.”
  • Stresses Target’s urgent need to “focus inward,” recapture its unique brand creativity and design for broad appeal, and stop chasing Amazon and Walmart on their terms.
  • “You had that core, that identity, that Target, that thing that made you so strong… Quit worrying about the shop-in-shops.”
• Chris’s Hopeful Note (39:43):
  • Sees potential in new CEO Michael Fidelke’s focus on design and merchandising.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Amazon’s Grocery Challenge (Chris, 07:25):
  “Amazon Grocery doesn’t mean anything. It has no connotation for freshness, which is a big hurdle.”
• Starbucks Vibes (Anne, 12:47):
  “The thing that rubs me the wrong way… is that you’re using the statement ‘bad vibes’ in any statement about a visit. What in the hell are you thinking?”
• Warby’s Growth Puzzle (Chris, 16:50):
  “I think it says there’s a lot more to this story than meets the eye.”
• On Shop-in-Shop Model (Chris, 36:18):
  “Are you a mall, or are you a retailer?... Target overtly tried to become a mall.”
• Target’s Brand Drift (Anne, 38:06):
  “For the last several years Target has been decreasing the priority of making things uniquely Target.”
• Sharp industry insider jab (Chris, 36:29):
  “Brian Cornell wouldn’t understand my strategy if I wrote it down and handed it to him on a cocktail napkin.”

Important Timestamps

• [05:46] Amazon adds perishables to same-day delivery
• [11:44] Starbucks abandons mobile order pickup-only stores
• [16:50] Warby Parker ends Home Try-On program
• [21:28] Ben Miller previews Shop Talk and Grocery Shop
• [28:14] IKEA mini showrooms in Best Buy stores
• [33:08] Ulta-Target ending shop-in-shop partnership
• [34:15] A&M Put You On the Spot question about shop-in-shops/Target
• [36:29] CEO insider critical quote on Brian Cornell
• [39:43] New Target CEO focus on design

Flow and Engagement

The conversation flows briskly, with Anne often challenging Chris and vice versa, creating a lively back-and-forth. Jokes (“coffee plus vibes,” “if you were a donut” lightning round) interplay with sharp industry critique and data-driven discussion. Ben Miller’s segment is practical, offering listeners real tips for upcoming events.

Final Thoughts

This episode probes key industry trends with trademark Omni Talk candor. Amazon’s grocery ambitions, Starbucks’ culture shift, Warby’s operations, IKEA’s channel hacks, and Target’s partnership woes are all weighed through sharp, experienced retailer eyes—sprinkled with humor and debate.
Listeners receive both market analysis and insider anecdotes, making this a must-hear for retail professionals and enthusiasts alike.