Recorded live on stage at Groceryshop 2026, Ben Miller, host of GrocerTalk, brings together Chris Walton, President and CEO of Omni Talk Retail, Deborah Weinswig, Founder and CEO of Coresight Research, and Kelly Lindenau, Content Director at Groceryshop, to break down what actually stood out from a week packed with big ideas, big announcements and a whole lot of talk about the future of grocery.

The conversation gets into the questions retailers are wrestling with right now. Where is agentic commerce really going? Is disintermediation becoming the bigger threat? What happens when the LLM starts to become the store? And with shoppers demanding less friction, faster decisions and better value, what does that mean for pricing, private label, marketplaces and the physical store?

Chris, Deborah, Kelly and Ben also trade their favorite AI use cases, stats, quotes and technology takeaways from the show, including why the most important technology on display may not have been the flashiest. They debate what retailers should actually be paying attention to, what might be overhyped, and what could have a real impact on the way people shop.

In this episode:

• Why agentic commerce is still a big question mark for grocery

• The growing threat of disintermediation and what retailers can do about it

• What it means if the LLM becomes the store

• Why “speed of shopping” may matter just as much as speed of delivery

• How marketplaces are changing where and how consumers shop

• Why pricing transparency could change the competitive landscape

• The growing power of private label and retailer-owned brands

• What supermarkets need to do to give shoppers a reason to come back

• The most interesting practical AI use cases from Groceryshop 2026

• The technology, stats and quotes that actually stuck with the panel

• What the group thinks retailers should be watching as we head toward 2027

🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk for more conversations with the leaders shaping grocery and retail.

Katie breaks down how WHSmith North America operates roughly 300 stores across around 50 U.S. airports, using localized concepts and curated assortments to serve travelers with very different shopping missions. From quick, convenient purchases like chargers and hydration to discovery-driven shopping experiences, the conversation explores how WHSmith balances speed and efficiency with exploration and engagement.

The discussion also dives into WHSmith North America’s growing retail media network, including its investment in digital in-store screens and new programmatic capabilities developed in partnership with SMG. Katie also shares what’s ahead for WHSmith North America in 2027, including a planned accelerator program designed to help emerging brands reach the millions of passengers traveling through U.S. airports.

In this episode:

• WHSmith North America’s travel retail business

• The different shopper missions shaping airport retail

• Balancing speed, convenience and discovery

• Self-checkout and the changing checkout experience

• Curated merchandising in high-traffic environments

• WHSmith North America’s retail media network

• Programmatic advertising across physical store environments

• Digital screens and in-store brand engagement

• What’s ahead for WHSmith North America in 2027

• A new accelerator program for emerging brands

🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk for more conversations with the leaders shaping grocery and retail.

Arthur brings a CPG perspective to the conversation, exploring how brands like Danone are navigating an increasingly digital retail environment and the changing ways consumers discover and engage with products. The discussion looks at the intersection of media, digital strategy and the evolving grocery landscape.

In this episode:

• Danone North America’s media and digital strategy

• How digital is changing the grocery and CPG landscape

• The evolving relationship between brands and retailers

• Changing consumer behaviors and digital discovery

• Where media and digital strategy are headed next

• What the future of grocery means for CPG brands

🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk for more conversations with the leaders shaping grocery and retail.

Jeremy and Ben revisit the ideas from his keynote and take a closer look at the challenges and opportunities facing grocery retailers today. The conversation brings the perspective of one of the industry's major regional grocers to the floor at Groceryshop, with a focus on where Hy-Vee and the broader grocery business go from here.

In this episode:

• Key takeaways from Jeremy Gosch’s Groceryshop keynote

• The biggest forces shaping the grocery industry

• How Hy-Vee is thinking about the future of the business

• The challenges facing grocery retailers today

• Opportunities ahead for Hy-Vee and the grocery sector

• What comes next for the retailer

🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk for more conversations with the leaders shaping grocery and retail.

Jim breaks down what it actually means to apply AI and machine learning across the business, from the underlying data and technology foundations to the culture required to support innovation. He also discusses Fruitist’s recognition as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2026 and what it takes to build a technically progressive organization.

In this episode:

• The scale and technology strategy behind Fruitist

• Why Fruitist was recognized among Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies

• What applying AI and ML across the value chain actually means

• The data and technology foundations required to make it work

• How AI can extend beyond individual use cases

• Building and maintaining a technically progressive culture

🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk for more conversations with the leaders shaping grocery and retail.

Andrew discusses the global shift toward digital grocery, changing shopping behaviors and the growing expectation for speed across markets. He also looks at the challenge of bringing impulse products into digital environments, how search and discovery are changing and what brands need to do to remain discoverable as algorithms, LLMs and agentic commerce reshape the path to purchase.

In this episode:

• How digital grocery is evolving across global markets

• What’s driving consumers toward online grocery shopping

• The growing expectation for speed and convenience

• How a CPG company approaches impulse products online

• How search and digital discovery are changing

• Building discoverability across algorithms and LLMs

• What agentic commerce could mean for CPG brands

• Strategies for converting digital demand

🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk for more conversations with the leaders shaping grocery and retail.

Sjoerd shares lessons from Albert Heijn’s AI shopping assistant Steijn, including what shoppers are using and how those learnings can translate beyond the Dutch market. The conversation also looks at the growing role of personal AI agents, the future of customer experience through AI and how Ahold Delhaize is using AI assistants internally to support store associates.

In this episode:

• How AI is changing the shopping experience at Albert Heijn

• Lessons from Steijn, Albert Heijn’s AI shopping assistant

• Which AI assistant functionalities shoppers are using most

• What Dutch shopper behavior can teach the broader grocery industry

• How AI innovations can scale across Ahold Delhaize brands

• Keeping retailer-built assistants relevant as personal AI agents grow

• The future of customer experience through AI

• How AI assistants are supporting store associates

🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk for more conversations with the leaders shaping grocery and retail.

Bobby explains the scope of AD Retail Media across Ahold Delhaize USA’s banners and shares his perspective on the priorities shaping retail media today. The conversation covers the opportunity within physical store portfolios, what advertisers are looking for from retail media and the platforms and technology needed to meet increasingly sophisticated demands.

In this episode:

• What falls under AD Retail Media across Ahold Delhaize USA

• The biggest priorities shaping retail media today

• Unlocking the value of physical store portfolios

• What advertisers are seeking from retail media

• Balancing awareness and conversion

• The technology required to support sophisticated advertisers

• What could be the biggest development in retail media in 2027

🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk for more conversations with the leaders shaping grocery and retail.

Myron discusses the history behind Sam’s Club, the role of Member’s Mark, and why a curated assortment can be an advantage even when consumers have access to virtually unlimited choice. He also dives into the technology supporting the member experience, from scan-and-go and exit arches to one-hour delivery, and how those capabilities fit into Sam’s Club’s long-term strategy.

In this episode:

• How Sam’s Club defines value for its members

• What the company’s history can teach today’s merchants

• The role of Member’s Mark in the Sam’s Club assortment

• Why offering less can create an advantage

• How scan-and-go and exit arches support the member experience

• The role of one-hour delivery from Club

• What’s ahead for Sam’s Club’s merchant team in Q4

🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk Retail for more conversations with the leaders shaping retail.

Ben and Ryan also unpack Instacart CEO Chris Rogers’ opening Mainstage Keynote, including the potential impact of AI agents and assistants on grocery, the continued affordability imperative, and the challenges retailers are working to solve. Ryan shares how Instacart supports its retail partners through Instacart Enterprise and discusses other major brands joining the Instacart Marketplace, including Gopuff and Airbnb.

In this episode:

• Dollar General joining the Instacart Marketplace

• What the Chief Commercial Officer role covers at Instacart

• Ryan’s biggest takeaways from Chris Rogers’ Groceryshop keynote

• Why AI agents and assistants could reshape grocery

• The continued importance of affordability

• How Instacart Enterprise supports retailers

• The biggest challenges Instacart is hearing from retail partners

• Gopuff and Airbnb joining the Instacart Marketplace

• What Ryan thinks was missing from the opening keynote

🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk for more conversations with the leaders shaping grocery and retail.

Mark looks at Costco’s rebuilt ad server, clean room, offsite measurement and search integrations, while explaining how retail media connects to a business where much of the shopping still happens inside the warehouse. The conversation also turns to the next phase of digital discovery as AI agents increasingly enter the shopping journey.

In this episode:

• The progress of Costco’s retail media technology stack

• Building retail media around the Costco membership experience

• How Costco connects ad exposure to in-warehouse sales

• The role of membership in Costco’s retail media strategy

• Why the warehouse remains central to Costco’s advertising proposition

• How AI agents could change search, discovery and advertising

• What it means to reach a shopper when the shopper is an AI agent

🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk Retail for more conversations with the leaders shaping retail.

Yael discusses the foundations behind Kroger’s AI strategy, the launch of its AI Shopping Assistant and how the company is thinking about the progression from assisted to augmented to autonomous AI. The conversation also explores governance, the role of humans as AI becomes more capable and how AI can help simplify the business and give associates more time with customers.

In this episode:

• Kroger’s AI strategy and the foundations needed to scale it

• What Kroger is learning from its new AI Shopping Assistant

• The evolution from assisted to augmented to autonomous AI

• Where human oversight fits into an increasingly autonomous future

• How AI can simplify work for Kroger associates

• The potential impact of AI across customers, associates and the business

• What AI could mean for the future of Kroger’s 84.51 proposition

🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk for more conversations with the leaders shaping grocery and retail.

Brian breaks down Albertsons’ focus on “collective growth” beyond advertising revenue, including category growth and household penetration, while discussing how retail media increasingly connects merchandising, stores, digital and operations. He also shares his perspective on why new shopping experiences may be more important than traditional programmatic targeting and where the creator economy could intersect with retail media.

In this episode:

• How Albertsons Media Collective has evolved over the past year

• Why new shopping experiences may be underhyped in retail media

• Measuring retail media success beyond ad revenue

• Connecting merchandising, stores, digital and operations

• Where the creator economy and retail media could intersect

• What Albertsons Media Collective could look like in the years ahead

🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk Retail for more conversations with the leaders shaping retail.

This week, they discuss:

• UK concerns over autonomous delivery robots, following a YouGov poll and the end of Starship Technologies’ Sheffield pilot. (Source)

• Target naming Mark Weinstein as its new Chief Marketing and Guest Experience Officer, and what his appointment could mean for the shopper experience. (Source)

• Morrisons rolling out “Shop to Light” across more than 200 stores, and whether the ESL use case adds real value for shoppers. (Source)

• Kroger removing Red Bull from its stores and fuel centers, amid its push to challenge suppliers on pricing. (Source)

Plus, Lauren joins us to preview Groceryshop 2026, including the key themes to watch and her one must-see session, and of course, she shares a global grocery story in GrocerTalk Grab & Go.

A few things worth checking out from this week’s episode:

Follow along with Omni Talk’s coverage from Groceryshop 2026, including exclusive interviews with executives from Kroger, Sam’s Club, Hy-Vee, Costco, Albertsons, Instacart, Ahold Delhaize and more. Catch the interviews across the Omni Talk LinkedIn page, podcast channels and YouTube.

Episode 006. Welcome to GrocerTalk.

P.S. Be sure to check out all our other podcasts from the past week here, too: https://omnitalk.blog/category/podcast/

Music by hooksounds.com.

Øistein explains how REMA 1000 has evolved its app from personalized discounts into a broader relationship with customers, why the company is focused on hyper-personalization that genuinely helps shoppers, and how its Scan & Go experience lets customers scan, bag and pay in the app before leaving through a dedicated fast-track gate. He also looks at how REMA 1000 is using AI to prototype faster and build toward a more personalized shopping experience, including helping customers figure out what to make for dinner and remember what they need to restock.

In this episode:

• How REMA 1000 is approaching hyper-personalization

• Evolving from a discount app into a digital relationship with customers

• How REMA 1000's Scan & Go experience works

• Why a controlled exit is key to the Scan & Go experience

• Connecting the digital app experience to the physical store

• Using AI to prototype and test new customer experiences

• How AI could help shoppers plan meals and build shopping lists

• The future of digital customer experience at REMA 1000

🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk Retail for more conversations with the leaders shaping retail.

Alexis explains how Unlimitail built an open, cross-border retail media alliance now spanning 40+ retailers and 21 countries, why in-store measurement remains the industry's biggest unsolved problem despite 70-98% of European sales still happening in physical stores, and why Unlimitail plugs into partners' existing tech stacks rather than forcing its own. He closes with a bold prediction for 2027: a massive RFP that could reshape in-store retail media across Europe.

In this episode:

• Inside Unlimitail: an open retail media alliance spanning 40+ retailers and 21 countries
• How CPG brands work with Unlimitail to solve specific sales problems
• Why in-store measurement is retail media's biggest unsolved challenge
• Balancing advertiser demand for performance with the case for brand-building
• A 2027 prediction: the massive RFP that could reshape in-store retail media in Europe

🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk Retail for more conversations with the leaders shaping retail.

Audrey walks through Bolt’s path from mobility to food delivery to grocery and retail across 50 global markets. She explains why speed has become table stakes while reliability is the new differentiator, and how Bolt balances a global playbook with local nuance, from cash payments in Africa to sustaining grocery partnerships in Ukraine. She also shares what’s next, including Bolt’s newly launched in-app replacement feature.

In this episode:

• Bolt's evolution from mobility to food delivery to grocery and retail
• Why speed is now the baseline and reliability is the new differentiator
• Balancing a global operating model with local nuance
• The value delivery marketplaces bring retail partners
• What's next: Bolt's new in-app replacement feature and widening shopping missions

🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk Retail for more conversations with the leaders shaping retail.

Guilherme explains how Continente is balancing e-commerce growth, quick commerce and profitability while adapting to changing consumer expectations around delivery. He also looks at what's next, from AI and personalization to the lessons Continente has learned from operating its autonomous grocery store.

In this episode:

• Inside Continente & Sonae MC, Portugal's largest grocery retailer

• Balancing e-commerce growth, profitability and customer experience

• Why quick commerce is moving away from 15-minute delivery expectations

• What Portuguese consumers want from fast grocery delivery

• How Continente uses stores, warehouses and a Lisbon dark store for fulfillment

• The role of AI agents and personalization in Continente's e-commerce strategy

• Lessons from Continente's autonomous grocery store

• Why the autonomous store has evolved into a hybrid model

🎧 Subscribe to Omni Talk Retail for more conversations with the leaders shaping retail.

Kim breaks down why Vestcom's expertise goes far beyond paper shelf tags, and how its storeLink software acts as a central brain for managing the complex data, pricing rules, promotions, and operational demands of the grocery shelf edge. She explains why going digital doesn't eliminate the challenges of retail execution, especially when grocers are managing a combination of paper and electronic shelf labels, and how intelligent software can help retailers protect their ROI, avoid vendor lock-in, and maintain accurate pricing across every store.

Key Topics Covered:

• Why electronic shelf labels are only as effective as the software behind them

• How Vestcom's 40 years of shelf-edge expertise informs its technology solutions

• Why grocery pricing data is so complex

• How storeLink manages pricing, promotions, and shelf-edge data

• The operational challenges of balancing paper and digital shelf labels

• Why going digital doesn't automatically eliminate pricing and execution issues

• How software can act as a single source of truth across paper and digital labels

• Why hardware-agnostic software helps retailers avoid vendor lock-in

• How retailers can protect the ROI of their ESL investments

• The hidden operational costs of pricing errors and sync failures

• How storeLink proactively identifies data issues, layout errors, and offline tags

• Why software should never be an afterthought in an ESL rollout

• What grocery CEOs and CIOs should consider before investing in digital shelf labels

Read Kim Schneider's article: Could an ESL Blindspot Sabotage Your ROI?

Music by hooksounds.com

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This week, they discuss:

• Kroger’s stalled performance and lowered 2026 sales outlook, examining whether the challenges facing the supermarket giant are specific to Kroger, the broader supermarket format, or consumer confidence. (Source)

• Instacart and Shipt launching AI-powered shopping assistants, and what the latest developments in AI-powered grocery shopping mean for the customer experience retailers should be working toward. (Source)

• Walgreens partnering with Looma to deploy in-store advertising screens, and whether working with a partner that provides hardware, content production, and measurement is the right approach to in-store digitization. (Source)

• Albertsons expanding its board and naming Meg Whitman as its first Executive Chair, examining what the appointment could signal for the company and the wider grocery industry. (Source)

Plus, Kim Schneider of Vestcom joins us for Five Insightful Minutes to explore how grocers can maximize their investment in shelf-edge technologies.

A few things worth checking out from this week’s episode:

Don’t miss our exclusive interviews from NRF Retail’s Big Show Europe in Paris, featuring the retail leaders and innovators shaping the future of grocery and retail. Catch them on the Omni Talk LinkedIn page, podcast channels and YouTube.

Register for Omni Talk’s Fall Conference Season “Must-See” Tech Preview: https://www.linkedin.com/events/omnitalk-sfallconferenceseason-7486477216600518656/theater/

Episode 005. Welcome to GrocerTalk.

P.S. Be sure to check out all our other podcasts from the past week here, too: https://omnitalk.blog/category/podcast/

Music by hooksounds.com.

This week, they discuss:

• Anthropic’s new blueprints for Shopping and Merchant Agents, Amazon’s latest Alexa for Shopping update, and what the rise of Agentic Commerce means for grocery. (Source)

• Sprouts Farmers Market’s CEO succession plan, with Jack Sinclair stepping down and COO Nick Konat set to take over. (Source)

• Kroger and Meijer’s September wellness events, and whether in-store health and wellness activations can really move the needle. (Source)

• Walmart expanding restaurant delivery through Dunkin’, and why the move could be a smart way to build delivery demand and order density. (Source)

• Aldi letting shoppers vote on new private label coffee creamer flavors, and whether it’s smart engagement or simply a fun gimmick. (Source)

Plus, GrocerTalk Grab & Go brings even more stories to the table, including Aldi’s Barbie-themed UK exclusive, Sarah’s pick of the week, and Ben questioning whether Starbucks’ new UK autumn menu is helping clarify what the brand actually wants to be.

A few things worth checking out from this week’s episode:

• Register for our Fall Conference “Must See” Tech Preview on September 17: https://www.linkedin.com/events/omnitalk-sfallconferenceseason-7486477216600518656/theater/

• Watch Jack Sinclair’s Groceryshop keynote from last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPdm5IAecYc

GrocerTalk is your weekly dose of the trends, tech and big ideas shaping grocery and CPG.

Episode 004. Welcome to GrocerTalk.

P.S. Be sure to check out all our other podcasts from the past week here, too: https://omnitalk.blog/category/podcast/

Music by hooksounds.com

This week, they discuss:

• Whether weak US consumer confidence is finally translating into changes in grocery shopping behavior, from strong results at Dollar Tree and Dollar General to lower-income shoppers pulling back at Walmart. (Source)

• BJ’s Wholesale Club’s plans to reduce its SKU count by 20%, and whether cutting back on choice is the right move for the membership retailer. (Source)

• Target’s new Beauty Studio concept, launching across 600 stores, and whether it can successfully rebuild the retailer’s beauty proposition following the end of its Ulta partnership. (Source)

• Aldi’s decision to close its grocery delivery business in Switzerland, and whether the move is a one-off or a broader reality check for online grocery. (Source)

• Walmart bringing its Scintilla commerce intelligence platform to Sam’s Club, and what it means for suppliers, retail media and Sam’s future. (Source)

Plus, GrocerTalk Grab & Go brings even more stories to the table, including Simbe’s Tally expanding with Tesco, Erewhon’s latest store opening, a new Sobeys concept store, and Costco bringing custom cakes and party platters to online delivery through Instacart.

GrocerTalk is a weekly podcast from the Omni Talk Podcast Network covering the trends, innovations and technologies shaping global grocery.

Episode 003. Welcome to GrocerTalk.

P.S. Be sure to check out all our other podcasts from the past week here, too: https://omnitalk.blog/category/podcast/

Music by hooksounds.com.

This week, they discuss:

• Target’s Q2 results, and whether stronger sales, grocery growth and improved store traffic signal a genuine turnaround or simply a bounce from a weak comparison. (Source)

• Sainsbury’s pause on AI facial recognition, following a case of mistaken identity, and whether retailers can use technology to protect colleagues and customers without creating new problems. (Source)

• Amazon’s six-fold expansion of drone delivery, and why Martin believes drone delivery is moving beyond novelty and becoming part of retail infrastructure. (Source)

• Uber’s partnership with Zipline, including its ambition for one million drone deliveries a day by 2029, and what the race for drone delivery says about the future of convenience and quick commerce. (Source)

• Ocado’s latest European technology partnership, and what its newest customer tells us about the future of automated grocery fulfillment. (Source)

Plus, GrocerTalk Grab & Go brings even more stories to the table from another busy week in global grocery.

GrocerTalk is a weekly podcast from the Omni Talk Podcast Network covering the trends, innovations and technologies shaping global grocery.

Episode 002. Welcome to GrocerTalk.

P.S. Be sure to check out all our other podcasts from the past week here, too: https://omnitalk.blog/category/podcast/

Music by hooksounds.com.

This week, they discuss:

• Couche-Tard’s US$8.7bn bid for Żabka, and what it signals about the future of convenience retail. (Source)

• Kroger combining grocery and prescription deliveries, with Instacart, and what’s next for Kroger’s ecommerce strategy. (Source)

• Schnucks’ new AI shopping assistant, and whether conversational commerce is becoming table stakes. (Source)

• Just Eat’s AI Voice Assistant, and what grocers can learn from how foodservice companies are adopting AI voice tools. (Source)

• Amazon’s agreement with AutoStore, and what it tells us about grocery fulfillment automation. (Source)

Plus, GrocerTalk Grab & Go brings more stories to the table, including Walmart’s move into store-based micro-fulfillment, C&S’s Winn-Dixie ambitions, Ahold Delhaize’s savings kiosks, and Waitrose’s new AI assistant for store associates.

GrocerTalk is a new weekly podcast from the Omni Talk Podcast Network covering the trends, innovations and technologies shaping global grocery.

Episode 001. Welcome to GrocerTalk.

P.S. Be sure to check out all our other podcasts from the past week here, too: https://omnitalk.blog/category/podcast/

Music by hooksounds.com.