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Podcast: Omni Talk Retail
Episode: What WMU’s Food Marketing Program Teaches About Grocery’s Future | FMI 2026
Description: In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from FMI 2026 in San Diego at the Simbe booth, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga sit down with Russell Zwanka, Director of the Food Marketing Program at Western Michigan University.
Russell shares insights from decades in grocery retail and merchandising, paired with his current role shaping the next generation of industry leaders. The conversation explores how Gen Z and Gen Alpha are entering the workforce, what retailers often misunderstand about younger talent, and why flexibility, culture, and in-person learning still matter.
The discussion also dives into AI, agentic commerce, GLP-1 adoption, and how...