In this Retail Technology Spotlight Series episode, Chris Walton sits down with Experion Technologies' Mahesh Vijayaraghavan (VP of Retail & Consumer Goods) and Siraj Alimohamed (Global Head of Data & AI) to cut through the AI hype.

From platform-first strategies to the pilot fatigue epidemic, Mahesh and Siraj break down why AI is overhyped at the dashboard level but underappreciated where it matters most, i.e. in 6 a.m. inventory decisions and real-time store operations.

Learn why building AI like a muscle beats treating it like a project, how to escape automation chaos, and why your digital experience is about to become your biggest competitive advantage.

🔑 Topics covered:

1. Why AI is overhyped but underimplemented in retail
2. Platform-first approach vs. endless pilot programs
3. Internal efficiency gains vs. consumer-facing AI investments
4. Process optimization before automation (avoid the 30-40% fat)
5. How digital experience becomes differentiation in the AI era
6. Agentic AI that acts within guardrails, not just recommends
7. The reinvestment strategy: internal savings to customer benefits

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#retailai #retailtech #omnitalk #digitalexperience #agenticai #retailinnovation #aiimplementation #experiontechnologies #retailpodcast #supplychain

In this Retail Technology Spotlight episode, Amy Vener, Global Retail & Consumer Goods Marketing Director for Commercial Cloud & AI at Microsoft, joins Omni Talk to unpack the main takeaways from NRF and where retailers should focus next as agentic commerce moves from theory to execution.

Drawing on her experience across Walmart, Pinterest, and Microsoft, Amy shares how retailers are shifting away from AI hype and toward real, measurable outcomes. From conversational shopping agents and merchandising insights to connected stores and cultural readiness, this episode breaks down how retailers can drive real return on intelligence in 2026 and beyond.

If you’re trying to figure out where AI fits into your merchandising, marketing, store operations, or supply chain strategy (and how to start without boiling the ocean), this conversation is for you.

Key Topics covered:

• 00:03:08 – Why “what problem are you trying to solve?” still matters more than the tech

• 00:07:34 – Agentic commerce use cases across marketing, merchandising, and operations

• 00:15:50 – How conversational data is influencing assortment and product development

• 00:10:01 – The role of connected stores and digital twins in retail decision-making

• 00:09:09 / 00:19:58 – Lessons from brands like Estée Lauder, Ralph Lauren, and Coca-Cola

• 00:23:07 – Why culture and team readiness are critical to AI adoption

• 00:25:42 – How retailers should engage Microsoft to drive faster business impact

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

#retailtech #retailAI #agenticcommerce #connectedstore #Microsoft #NRF #retailinnovation #omnitalk #retailpodcast #digitaltransformation

Sponsored Content

Specialty retailers keep asking us: handheld scanners or overhead readers? So we settled it the only way we know how: with a knockdown, dragout debate between two RFID experts.

In this Retail Technology Spotlight, Anne Mezzenga moderates as Madalynn Lauria (Team Handheld) and Pareiya Gupta (Team Overhead) from GreyOrange make their cases for the best RFID solution. From proving ROI on a tight budget to cutting inventory counts from hours to minutes, this conversation tackles the real questions retailers are wrestling with as they decide how to track inventory in 2026.

The verdict? It's not as simple as picking a side. Whether you're testing RFID for the first time or scaling across hundreds of stores, the right answer depends on your velocity, your budget, and what you're actually trying to solve. But one thing's clear: manual counts and mystery stockrooms aren't going to cut it anymore.

Key Topics covered:

• How to test RFID with minimal budget and staff

• Cutting inventory counts from hours to under 20 minutes

• Why some retailers are going hybrid (overhead + handheld)

• Real-time shrink visibility and where product actually disappears

• Tracking TikTok trends and moving inventory between stores in hours

• The smart fitting room problem nobody talks about

Music by hooksounds.com

*Sponsored Content*

#RFID #retailtech #inventorymanagement #omnitalk #retailinnovation #smartretail #retailpodcast #omnichannelretail #retailoperations #supplychain