Justin Breton talks shoppable livestreams and immersive experiences as he announces Walmart exit
Justin Breton has announced his departure from Walmart, where he spent the past six and a half years, most recently serving as Head of Partnerships, Content & Emerging Experiences. In a LinkedIn post, Breton, a member of the RTIH Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List, said: “Every great story has an ending... And after six incredible, rewarding years, my Walmart story has reached its final chapter.”
“When I joined Walmart in April 2020, I could never have imagined the story we were about to write together. Over the past six years, I’ve had the opportunity to help reimagine and transform how one of the world’s largest brands shows up in culture, experimenting with new platforms, pioneering new forms of commerce, and building experiences designed not just to reach people, but to invite them in. And we did exactly that.”
Highlights have included building interactive content platforms like Camp by Walmart and Walmart Cookshop, and launching Walmart’s first shoppable livestream and then hundreds more. “We built gaming worlds and immersive commerce experiences across Roblox, Minecraft, and beyond. We brought commerce into gaming, created Walmart Realm as a new way to shop, and brought original creator led programming to VIZIO,” Breton added.
“Across all of it, we experimented with what retail marketing could be and proved that some of the best brand experiences don’t interrupt what people already love. They add to it. They invite people to participate. And, when we get it right, they entertain. There were a lot of “firsts” and experiments. Many ideas that started with some version of “What if?” or “Why not?” And somehow, we usually found a way to test them.”
He concluded: “But the work is only part of this story. The best part has been the people I got to create all of it with: the talented teams across Walmart; the creators and talent who brought their voices and communities into the work; and the platform, agency, and technology partners willing to build things with us that, in many cases, had never been built before. Their trust in my vision gave us permission to push boundaries and take big swings.”
“To everyone who brainstormed, produced, designed, tested, launched, optimized, celebrated, problem solved, or simply said, “Yes, let’s figure it out” alongside me: Thank you! I’m leaving Walmart incredibly proud of what we built, but even more grateful for the people I got to build it with. Six fulfilling years. Countless experiments. A few awards. More livestreams than I can count. And truly, one hell of a story. And while this chapter is ending, the story isn’t. I have a feeling the next chapter might be the most entertaining one yet… Stay tuned!”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Immersive experiences will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
