Solving Retail’s $1.7 Trillion Inventory Problem With RFID and AI
In this Retail Technology Spotlight Series, Chris Walton sits down with Gagan Luthra, VP of Product at Impinj, to tackle one of retail's most persistent and expensive challenges: inventory distortion. With an estimated $1.7 trillion lost annually to inventory distortion, retailers have spent years investing in systems designed to improve accuracy. But what if the real problem isn't inventory at all? What if it's the data? Gagan explains how advances in RFID technology, including Impinj's Gen2X, are helping retailers move beyond inventory snapshots toward more accurate, real-time item-level visibility.
Chris and Gagan also explore what this looks like in practice, including how Zara and parent company Inditex have used RFID to improve inventory accuracy, reduce counting times, and minimize unsold merchandise. Plus, they discuss Impinj's vision for physical intelligence, the role of trusted data in powering agentic AI, and why the next big opportunity goes well beyond simply knowing what's on the shelf. From automated replenishment and loss prevention to food safety and supply chain orchestration, they unpack what it takes to turn better visibility into better business decisions.
Key Topics Covered:
00:02:20 - Why inventory distortion is really a data problem, not just an inventory problem
00:05:09 - What Impinj's Gen2X technology changes about RFID accuracy and reliability
00:07:19 - How better RFID communication enables continuous, real-time inventory visibility
00:09:38 - Why smaller RFID tags create new challenges for retailers
00:12:57 - How Zara and Inditex have used RFID to transform inventory accuracy and operations
00:17:31 - Where item-level visibility goes next, from grocery to supply chain traceability
00:20:54 - How physical intelligence and trusted data can unlock agentic AI
00:23:29 - Two lessons for successfully deploying RFID technology at scale
Over 8 years and nearly 200 episodes, the Retail Technology Spotlight Series has featured some of the biggest names and boldest thinkers in retail. Explore the full archive here: https://omnitalk.blog/category/spotlight-series-podcast/ (https://omnitalk.blog/category/spotlight-series-podcast/)
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5 Oct 2026
Building Retail Technology With a Ceiling That Moves With You
In this Retail Technology Spotlight Series, Chris Walton sits down with Brian Kinsella, Chief Product Officer at Manhattan Associates, to explore one of the biggest technology dilemmas facing growing retailers and brands: Do you start small and risk outgrowing your systems, or invest in enterprise technology before you have the size, resources, or complexity to justify it?
Brian breaks down why that tradeoff may finally be changing. As customer expectations rise and growing brands take on marketplaces, stores as fulfillment nodes, wholesale, DTC, and increasingly complex supply chains, the technology decisions companies make early on can quickly become their ceiling. And when they outgrow those systems, the real cost isn't always the software itself. It's the migration, retraining, change management, operational disruption, and time spent rebuilding instead of growing.
Brian takes Chris inside Manhattan Associates' new Editions offering, where AI can simplify implementation, and what buyers should look for when evaluating long-term technology partners. From avoiding rip-and-replace to building a foundation where "the ceiling moves with you," they break down how growing retailers can move fast today without creating a technology problem for tomorrow.
Key Topics Covered:
00:02:05 - Why growing retailers feel like they're constantly behind on technology
00:03:31 - Why customer expectations don't change based on company size
00:06:51 - What actually breaks when companies outgrow their systems
00:13:08 - How retailers can start smaller without sacrificing their long-term technology foundation
00:17:52 - Inside Manhattan Associates' new Editions offering
00:23:15 - Where AI can simplify implementations and software configuration
00:28:24 - The questions every CIO and COO should ask before choosing a platform
Over 8 years and nearly 200 episodes, the Retail Technology Spotlight Series has featured some of the biggest names and boldest thinkers in retail. Explore the full archive here: https://omnitalk.blog/category/spotlight-series-podcast/ (https://omnitalk.blog/category/spotlight-series-podcast/)
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7 Sept 2026
The Future-Proof Warehouse Rethinking Logistics for What’s Next | Spotlight Series
In this Retail Technology Spotlight series, Chris Walton sits down with Julian Sellan, Senior Supply Chain Engineer at Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, and Nick Cianfarani, Senior Account Manager at Dematic, to explore one of the biggest questions facing supply chain leaders today: How do you decide when it's time to upgrade your logistics network and when is it smarter to start over? Through the lens of Southern Glazer's ongoing network transformation, Julian and Nick break down what goes into evaluating aging facilities, consolidating distribution centers, and designing an operation that can meet today's demand without becoming obsolete tomorrow.
From modular pick modules and miles of conveyor to warehouse software that acts as the "brain" behind the operation, the conversation explores what it takes to build flexibility into a logistics network from day one. Julian and Nick also dig into the often overlooked human side of automation, including why standardization, employee buy-in, knowledge transfer, and "hypercare" can make or break a successful go-live. And the results are already beginning to show, with Southern Glazer's Louisiana operation doubling throughput and reducing delivery frequency from five days a week to four.
From deciding between retrofit and greenfield facilities to designing warehouses that can evolve alongside changing consumer demand, this episode offers a practical look inside what it really takes to modernize a logistics network without designing yourself into the next problem.
Key Topics Covered:
00:03:50 - Why Southern Glazer's began reevaluating its logistics network
00:05:46 - How to decide between upgrading an existing facility or building new
00:09:18 - Why consolidation can reduce complexity and unlock new efficiencies
00:11:09 - How to right-size a facility for today's demand and tomorrow's growth
00:14:14 - Inside the modular automation system designed for Southern Glazer's
00:19:57 - Why warehouse software is the "brain" behind automation
00:24:13 - Why software alignment needs to happen before the hardware goes in
00:25:18 - How standardization makes new facility rollouts easier over time
00:27:54 - The biggest watch-outs when designing and launching an automated facility
00:33:53 - Why "hypercare" and employee buy-in are critical to a successful go-live
00:35:35 - The results Southern Glazer's is already seeing from its new network
00:37:18 - How continuous partnership helps supply chain teams prepare for what's next
Want to learn more about Southern Glazer's automation journey? Check out these additional resources:
Scalable Beverage Distribution: How Southern Glazer's Modernized Fulfillment with Dematic (https://www.dematic.com/en-us/insights/case-studies/southern-glazer)
System Report: Perfecting the Automation Mix at Southern Glazer's, Modern Materials Handling (https://www.mmh.com/article/system_report_perfecting_the_automation_mix_at_southern_glazers)
Over 8 years and nearly 200 episodes, the Retail Technology Spotlight Series has featured some of the biggest names and boldest thinkers in retail. Explore the full archive here: https://omnitalk.blog/category/spotlight-series-podcast/ (https://omnitalk.blog/category/spotlight-series-podcast/)
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Who has been a guest on Retail Technology Spotlight Series
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Kristin Savilia
Catherine Dummitt
Bryan Chan
Rajat Nigam
Oliver Vogt
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
3,579,860
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 70 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
78
Social presence
0
YouTube
93
Engagement
60
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Questions about Retail Technology Spotlight Series
Who hosts Retail Technology Spotlight Series?
Anne and Anne Mezzenga and Chris and Chris Walton host the show. Published by Omni Talk Retail.
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