DoorDash Goes Direct On Shopify, OpenAI Builds An AI Companion & Kroger Pours Into Wine | Fast Five

In this week's OmniTalk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Quorso, Veloq, and R&S Logistics, Chris Walton was joined by A&M Consumer and Retail Group Senior Directors Brandon Pezely and Alex Brakebill for their monthly Fast Five appearance to discuss: • DoorDash's new native Shopify integration, and whether the partnership positions DoorDash to become the "marketplace of marketplaces" or creates new risks by distancing retailers from their customers: https://about.doordash.com/en-us/news/doordash-integrates-directly-with-shopify • OpenAI's rumored screenless AI companion device, and whether a voice-first, always-on assistant represents the next major computing platform or simply another gadget consumers don't need: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-14/openai-s-first-device-will-be-moveable-screenless-speaker-built-as-ai-companion • The European Union's new ban on destroying unsold clothing, and whether the regulation will meaningfully reduce waste or simply encourage retailers to find new workarounds: https://chainstoreage.com/news-briefs/2026-07-20?article=eus-ban-destruction-unsold-clothing-shoes-takes-effect • Kroger's new in-store wine shop concept, and whether premium, localized retail experiences can help differentiate the grocer in an increasingly competitive grocery landscape: https://www.grocerydive.com/news/kroger-wine-shops-new-concept-store-experience/825133/ • Wonder's reported plans to go public at a $9 billion valuation, and whether Marc Lore's vision represents the future of food commerce or another overhyped retail technology play: https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/exclusive-marc-lore-says-wonder-125500355.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJAPf-RIr898TmAI_McyhiTv53dWMas5d38xWR0rmKQCyHfuIuUL7JMWt7bVl4GCdS7SAN7OiAjiEjNyzzE8ldDZc8W-lBHVhYO8IDlj_QnTRynyUT-emNwwWv1CYpoa_4xi5bNZsGdEPRjPilge0LQ2QPlJdLSvboVyjlj8V6GU Plus, in this week's Lightning Round, Chris Walton, Brandon Pezely, and Alex Brakebill discuss Lionel Messi's World Cup legacy, National Ice Cream Day, Avengers: Doomsday, UFO sightings, and much more. P.S. Be sure to check out all our other podcasts from the past week here, too: https://omnitalk.blog/category/podcast/ P.P.S. Also be sure to check out our podcast rankings on Feedspot: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/retail_podcasts/ Music by hooksounds.com.