The Multiplayer Store: A Conversation with Chris Walton on Turning Retail Data into Differentiation

Q (Caitlin): You’ve led transformation initiatives across both store strategy and merchandising. What aspect of retail leadership are you most excited about these days?

A (Chris): The thing I’m most keyed in on right now is what I’d call the “omnichannel rub.” Coming out of the pandemic, a lot of retailers leaned heavily into things like shipping from store and curbside pickup—but now they’re running into capacity issues. You see it in Starbucks. You see it in Target. Everyone’s trying to fulfill more orders, faster, without breaking the in-store experience.

That’s where I see opportunity. There are so many ways to improve stores today—if you start thinking of them almost like a multiplayer video game. You can record what’s happening, process the data, and then act on it in ways we never could before. That’s what excites me: bringing store ops and merchandising together to rethink how stores actually run.

Q: How is the role of the store, particularly as a merchandising engine, evolving today?

A (Chris): There are three pressure points I see right now. First is labor: it's harder to get, and we’re asking store teams to do more than ever. Second is the push for differentiation. You need to stand behind what’s uniquely yours if you want to win in-store. And third, there’s always the need to stay ahead of trends while staying profitable, which is not easy when you’re working in a physical environment.

All of that creates a disconnect between what merchants plan and what actually gets executed in-store. Store teams are overwhelmed, so they’re forced to triage. They want to do their jobs well, but the system makes it hard.

Q: What role does shelf intelligence play in addressing that disconnect?

A (Chris): If I’m an executive, the first thing I’m thinking is: How do I get a higher return on my labor? That’s the short-term benefit of shelf intelligence. But the longer-term value is much bigger; it’s like building a multiplayer game engine for your store. You capture all the activity, process it, and act on it. That unlocks everything from better forecasting to more meaningful customer insights.

One of my favorite thought experiments is always this: What’s the value of a clean bathroom? If I could track guest behavior, I could answer that. The same applies to pricing, availability, layout—you name it. Shelf intelligence is the gateway to running your store like a well-orchestrated system.

“If you take this approach, shelf intelligence becomes foundational. It’s the problem that needs to be solved.”

Q: Where does shelf intelligence have the most impact for merchants?

A (Chris): For me, pricing accuracy is the most valuable use case. It’s independent of inventory. If the tag goes up and it’s right, that’s instant impact. I used to tell store teams, “When that promo tag hits the floor, sales go up at least 20%.” That lightbulb moment is powerful, especially when you can create a feedback loop that motivates store teams and gives them confidence they’re driving results.

“Retail is detail. Getting promos and pricing right is the most impactful thing store teams can do to drive sales every day.”

Q: You recently joined Simbe’s Strategic Advisory Board. What guided you to accept our invitation?

A (Chris): I've been impressed since day one. I spent two years on Target’s Store of the Future, and I’ve been talking about this eventuality for a long time. But what really stood out is how much respect Simbe has earned from people I respect, people like Dave Steck and Bob Hardester.

Then there's the entrepreneurial grit. Talking with Brad, you see the blood, sweat, and tears that went into making this work. And the way Simbe works with clients—consultative, not transactional—is what makes it stick. Capturing the data is step one, but helping retailers act on it? That’s the hard part. That’s where Simbe excels.

Q: What does shelf intelligence unlock for the future of the in-store experience?

A (Chris): One of the most compelling things about shelf intelligence is the kind of in-store experience it enables. I think the store of the future is going to resemble something more like a casino—because casinos are masters of data and environment. They know where every guest goes, what they do, and they use that information in real time to shape a more engaging, personalized experience.

I remember talking to a friend who’s a CFO at a major casino back in my merchandising days. He told me, “We don’t measure success by how much money we make. We measure it by whether our guests had a good time.” That line stuck with me, because it reframes the purpose of data in a physical environment. Shelf intelligence does something similar—it shifts retail from chasing lagging KPIs to acting on leading indicators that improve the experience in the moment.

Now, “fun” might not be the right word for every retail brand, but the principle still applies. Shopping in-store should be more seamless, more personal, more rewarding. Think about the loyalty implications too—just like casinos use real-time data to offer free drinks or room upgrades, retailers could use shelf-level insights to power promotions, surprise-and-delight moments, and even retail media. Shelf intelligence is what makes that possible. It’s the data foundation that ties operations, loyalty, and customer experience together—and it’s coming faster than many retailers realize.