Computer vision is transforming retail stores, but most pilots fail to scale beyond proof of concept. In this Omni Talk Ask An Expert episode, hosts Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga sit down with Joe Serrano (Global Managing Partner, Retail & CPG at HTEC) and Daniel Horton (VP of Engineering & Delivery at HTEC) to reveal the playbook for successful computer vision deployments.

Learn why 75% of retail AI pilots fail to scale, which use cases deliver the fastest ROI, and how to evaluate your existing infrastructure before investing in new technology. Joe and Dan share hard-earned lessons about everything from camera requirements and network readiness to privacy concerns and customer trust.

Key topics covered:

• Why demo accuracy rarely matches real-world performance

• How to leverage 60-80% of existing cameras with minor augmentation

• The critical difference between customer-facing vs. operational AI deployments

• Smart carts, inventory visibility, shrink control, and shelf availability use cases

• Privacy, GDPR, and building customer trust with in-store AI

• Build vs. buy decisions for computer vision infrastructure

Whether you're piloting your first computer vision project or scaling existing implementations, this conversation provides actionable insights to help you avoid costly mistakes and deliver measurable ROI.

Join HTEC for their January Webinar: Computer Vision in Action: Cutting Shrink, Boosting Efficiency, and Powering Smarter Stores with Edge AI

https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/21011/656661?utm_source=brighttalk-sharing&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=linkshare

#RetailTech #ComputerVision #ArtificialIntelligence #RetailInnovation #StoreOperations #RetailAI #OmniChannelRetail #InventoryManagement #RetailTransformation #SmartStores

Computer Vision Deployment Disasters: Your Playbook On How To Avoid Them | Ask An Expert

In a fast five minutes Chris Walton discusses this week’s big news out of the cosmetics industry, something pronounced “AiFi,” another “I don’t get you, but I don’t know how to quit you” press release out of Walmart, Macy’s earnings report, and some news out of Seattle that had nothing to do with Amazon. Thank the heavens — finally! 

Links from this week — 
Startup launches scaleable Amazon Go-like system for retailers – goo.gl/i9Feuw
Macy’s Q4 earnings, comp-sales top Street; to sell part of Chicago flagship - goo.gl/MNMgvk 
Glossier Just Got $52 Million in Fresh Capital, Bringing Total Funding to $86M - goo.gl/KUp3dn 
Walmart confirms plans to launch apparel, home brands - goo.gl/HG2N4o 
Nordstrom family reportedly near take-private offer - goo.gl/AaZEsr

Omni Talk is a production of RedArcherRetail.com and OmniTalk.blog, hosted by leading omnichannel retail expert, Chris Walton. Chris is the founder of the retail start-up, Red Archer Retail and author of one of the fastest growing blogs in retail -- OmniTalk.blog. His Fast Five podcast dives into the top retail news headlines of the week in just five quick minutes, all in Chris’s signature candid and humorous style. including serious and sometimes comic musings on the past, present and future of retail. Want more? Be sure to check out the After the Five podcast, where Chris and fellow omnichannel enthusiasts, Anne Mezzenga and Carter Jensen, go even deeper into the headlines and what they could mean for the future of retail. If you enjoy these podcasts, please also be sure to visit OmniTalk.blog to subscribe to Chris’s blog and to get all the retail commentary you could ever want, and more, delivered straight to your inbox.

Music from HookSounds.com

The Fast Five: If Macy’s falls in the woods, does it make a noise?

In this week's Omni Talk Fast Five, sponsored by Trigo, Chris Walton, Carter Jensen, and Emma the intern discuss the top weekly headlines from the world of retail, while Anne Mezzenga is on vacation in sunny Florida. This week the gang talks Google's new shopping features, Intel and Area 15, CVS expanding its health hubs, Walgreens getting even more hot and heavy with Kroger, and a controversial headline from H&M regarding high-tech recycling bins.

For the full transcript of this podcast: https://omnitalk.blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Clg1CE_1580998768-1.txt

Fast Five: Google Unleashes New Tools for Apparel Shopping & A Monty Python Tribute

In this week's Fast Five podcast, sponsored by Trigo and Insignia Systems, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga broadcast from their Omni Talk headquarters at eTail West (aka an Airbnb) and talk Walmart's new health hub initiative, Amazon's new 10,000 square foot grocery store and microfulfillment center partnership with Dematic, Libra and Shopify, and some late breaking, incredibly head scratching developments at Toys R Us and b8ta.

For more information about Trigo, visit www.trigo.tech

Fast Five: $25 Dental Visits at Walmart, Amazon Go Part Deux, & TRU Head Scratching

As part of our ongoing Omni Talk Spotlight Series, Chris Walton sits down with Rigado's Chief Revenue Officer and fellow Stanford alum Kevin Tate to learn about edge computing, bluetooth connectivity, and the many use cases across retail where it all can be applied. Sometimes the simplest answers can often times to lead to the best results.

You can learn more about Rigado here: https://www.rigado.com/

**Sponsored Content**

Spotlight Series: Talking Edge Computing with Rigado CRO Kevin Tate

In this week's episode of the Omni Talk Fast Five, sponsored by Trigo and Insignia Systems, the gang delivers one of the funniest episodes yet. Carter questions verb choices, Anne gets really emotional about coffee, and Chris even confuses 7-Up for 7-Eleven. Yet, somehow, it all comes together as they chat Panera's new coffee subscription, Target's plans for 2020, Walmart Plus, Alibaba's amazing new store concepts, and 7-Eleven's plans for convenience store domination. Oh, and Emma the Intern is out on Spring Break too.

To learn more about Trigo and Insignia, check out these links below:

- https://www.trigo.tech/

- https://insigniasystems.com/

Video showcasing Alibaba's new Freshippo formats:

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZNOE9dakXI&feature=youtu.be

Fast Five: Panera Coffee, Target, Alibaba's New Store Formats, and Tuna Sandwiches

Amanda Brinkman carries two very significant titles: Chief Brand and Communications Officer of Deluxe and Creator/Host of the Award-winning show, Small Business Revolution.

While she's done tremendous work in both roles, it's her coming-of-age story that you'll really want to hear. She shares with us the secrets she believes have led to her success in these roles, and how her philosophy of "Doing well by doing good" has opened up opportunities she never thought possible.

We also go deep into the challenges Main Street and big-box retailers are facing in the age of Amazon and how Amanda's team at Small Business Revolution is approaching the problem one season at a time.

The Women's Retail Collective Podcast: Small Business Revolution Host & Deluxe CBO Amanda Brinkman

In this week's Omni Talk Fast Five, sponsored by Trigo and Insignia, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss why Amazon may finally be showing some dangerous and uncharacteristic hubris, Fleet Feet's cool new store concept, IKEA selling on Tmall, Burlington exiting e-commerce, and the canary in the coal mine that could be Stitch Fix.

To learn more about Trigo, visit https://www.trigo.tech/

Fast Five: Say Fleet Feet Ten Times Fast

In this week's Fast Five, sponsored by Trigo and Insignia, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss Kohl's hilarious new partnership with Lands' End, Starbucks' decision to go pickup-only, Amazon and C9, the bleak bleak future of malls and department stores, and what the next two weeks could look like for Amazon and our local grocery supply chains.

To learn more about Trigo, visit: https://www.trigo.tech/

Referenced article from Shlomo Chopp: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/rebirth-retail-real-estate-shlomo-chopp/?trackingId=fC8xILa7zDyFqV%2Bvb5bXTg%3D%3D

Fast Five: Thank God We Have Kohl's For Comic Relief

In this week's Fast Five, sponsored by FastSensor and Takeoff, Chris Walton, Anne Mezzenga, and Emma the Intern discuss more feel good stories in one week than they can ever remember.

They talk Mall of America dedicating retail space to local Minneapolis businesses disrupted by the pandemic and the social unrest following the killing of George Floyd, the first-ever Jeff Bezos Academy preschool for students from low income families, Walmart's Plus Up marketing campaign, GOAT's latest $100 million Series E funding round, and the mall operator Centennial's brilliant move to create an online marketplace for all its tenants this upcoming October.

It is an episode guaranteed to leave you feeling warm and fuzzy and maybe even a little nostalgic for 80's movies featuring animatronic ducks.

To learn more about FastSensor, visit: https://www.fastsensor.com/retail-promo

To learn more about Takeoff, visit: https://www.takeoff.com/

Fast Five | Warm Fuzzies From Jeff Bezos & Howard The Duck

Shoptalk CEO Anil Aggarwal sits down with Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga to talk innovation and retail in their latest Omni Talk Spotlight Series episode.

Chris and Anne go deep with Anil on the origin of Shoptalk, the state of the retail industry, and what to expect from Shoptalk's next marquee event, Shoptalk Meetup, this October.

Be sure to stick around for the last 20 minutes of the episode, too. Anil gives a master class on innovation and disruption theory. He discusses everything from the importance of always putting product first to looking to a blank slate future and working backwards, all while sometimes having to make some really tough decisions. 

The episode is a firsthand account from someone who eats what he cooks and isn't afraid to walk out on the limb of innovation and to disrupt himself.

Spotlight Series | Reimagining Shoptalk with Shoptalk CEO Anil Aggarwal

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.