Omni Talk Retail THE RETAIL 2026 PREDICTION FORECAST | Fast Five Shorts
Dec 13, 2025
Chad Lusk, a retail and consumer industry executive at A&M Consumer and Retail Group, joins Chris and Anne to share bold predictions for 2026. Chad believes OpenAI will launch a game-changing payment platform for agentic commerce, while Chris suggests Starbucks will shift to mobile-focused ghost cafes, eliminating traditional seating. Anne anticipates that agent-influenced shopping will surge during the 2026 holiday season. The trio dives into these intriguing forecasts, setting the stage for the retail evolution ahead.
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AI Agents Move Into Payments
- Chad Lusk predicts ChatGPT will expand into commerce and payments, enabling agents to transact for users.
- He expects OpenAI to potentially launch a payment platform that accelerates agent-driven holiday shopping.
Starbucks Could Shift To Ghost Cafes
- Chris Walton forecasts Starbucks will adopt a mobile-first ghost cafe model focused solely on throughput.
- He argues seating-free pickup sites make operational sense to speed orders without costly full-store redesigns.
Agent Influence To Surge During 2026 Holidays
- Anne Mezzenga expects agent-influenced shopping to at least double or triple by the 2026 holiday season.
- She links growth to greater familiarity with agents and potential payment integrations that simplify gift buying and price matching.