GrocerTalk

In this edition of 5 Insightful Minutes, Jennifer Shawgo, Senior Director of Technology Strategy and Programs at FMI, The Food Industry Association, joins Omni Talk's Chris Walton to discuss findings from FMI's The State of Technology 2026 report and the future of grocery technology.

Jennifer explains why the industry is shifting from technology adoption to measurable results. While 71% of food retailers plan to increase technology spending, only 29% have a defined change-management plan, highlighting the importance of aligning people, processes, and technology.

She also explores how smaller grocers can compete, why mid-market retailers are seeing success, and where technology is delivering real returns, from AI-powered inventory planning and cybersecurity to data analytics and shrink reduction.

Key Topics Covered:

• What FMI's The State of Technology 2026 report reveals about grocery technology adoption
• Why 71% of food retailers plan to increase technology spending
• The change-management gap and why only 29% have defined plans
• How smaller grocers can compete through targeted technology investments
• Why mid-market and regional grocers are outperforming expectations
• Where AI and machine learning are delivering measurable results
• How inventory planning, cybersecurity, and data analytics are driving value
• Why 85% of food retailers report at least somewhat successful in-store shrink reduction programs

To learn more and explore FMI's research, visit: https://www.fmi.org/

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Sponsored Content

US grocery ecommerce has officially crossed the 20% mark, and this week on GrocerTalk, Ben Miller is joined by Sean Ransenberg, Co-Founder and CEO of Empower Insights and former H-E-B Retail Media executive, to discuss what comes next for grocery retail.

Sponsored by Instacart Enterprise, Portager, Vusion, and Sifter Solutions, this week's episode covers everything from Walmart's new membership strategy and Kroger's growth plans to AI shopping agents, Instacart acquisition speculation, and Buc-ee's continued expansion.

Ben and Sean explore whether grocery ecommerce has reached a tipping point, why delivery economics remain a major challenge, and what AI could mean for the future of shopping. They also debate whether Kroger's renewed focus on fundamentals goes far enough, why Walmart's membership bundle makes sense, and whether grocers should welcome AI shopping agents or wait and see.

This week, they discuss:

• 03:45 | US grocery ecommerce hits 20.9%: Online grocery's growing market share, rising order frequency, delivery economics, and the potential for future growth, plus reports of potential Instacart acquisition talks and the wind-down of Caper Cart. (Source)
• 17:05 | Walmart's membership play: Walmart+ and Sam's Club Plus combine in a new $120 annual membership, offering expanded benefits and savings for shoppers. (Source)
• 22:55 | Kroger's Investor Day: Greg Foran's plans for 3% comparable sales growth by 2029, 110 new stores, fresh-focused formats, and a $5 billion investment in stores, operations, and pricing. (Source)
• 34:42 | Walmart welcomes AI shopping agents: New Agent Profiles and an Agent Gateway, third-party AI shopping access, and Walmart's contrasting strategy with Amazon. (Source)
• 44:09 | Buc-ee's eyes Oklahoma: The Texas-born travel center's potential expansion, what makes its unique convenience store concept stand out, and how it has transformed the traditional gas station experience. (Source)
• 49:13 | GrocerTalk Grab & Go: Ahold Delhaize's response to a cyberattack and the critical role of technology teams in keeping grocery operations running.

P.S. Check out all our other podcasts from the past week here!

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It's a packed week on GrocerTalk, and Ben Miller is bringing in not one, but TWO industry experts to tackle some of the biggest questions facing grocery retailers right now.

Sponsored by Instacart Enterprise, Portager, Vusion, and Sifter Solutions, this week's episode covers everything from cyberattacks on European supermarkets to the future of AI shopping assistants, retail media, and Albertsons' sweeping business review.

First, Christian Beckner, Founder & Principal of Commerce Risk Advisory and former NRF cybersecurity executive, joins Ben to discuss the latest attacks on grocery retailers and how they can better protect themselves.

Then, EMARKETER VP of Content Suzy Davidkhanian tackles a BIG question: If AI assistants start doing the shopping, what happens to retail media?

This week, they discuss:

• 02:21 | Cybersecurity in grocery: The attacks on French supermarkets, security vulnerabilities, and growing third-party risks.
• 10:24 | Protecting connected stores: Practical steps retailers can take NOW, plus the limitations of cyber insurance.
• 17:49 | AI assistants and retail media: What happens to sponsored search when AI starts shopping for us?
• 30:55 | Hy-Vee's five-minute shopping ambition: Using AI to cut online grocery shopping from 40 minutes to five without losing product discovery. (Source)
• 36:40 | Albertsons' big reset: Ben's take on the company's comprehensive business review, withdrawn guidance, and the need for stronger pricing action.

A few things to note from this episode:

• Hear more about Hy-Vee's AI shopping plans in Ben's full Groceryshop interview with CEO Jeremy Gosch: Watch here.
• UK & European CPG listeners: Ben is hosting an invite-only dinner in London on November 3 with Nectar360 Managing Director Amir Rasekh. Interested? Reach out to Ben directly!

P.S. Check out all our other podcasts from the past week here!

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How will changing SNAP regulations impact grocers and CPG brands, and how can retailers maintain compliance without risking revenue? In this edition of 5 Insightful Minutes, Sifter’s Vice President of Sales and Business Development, Kevin Billings, joins Omni Talk’s Ben Miller to break down the latest developments in state-level SNAP waivers and what they mean for the future of grocery retail.

Kevin explains how Sifter’s food intelligence platform is helping retailers and CPGs adapt to complex, evolving state restrictions. From managing restricted product lists to providing in-store scanning tools for shoppers, Kevin highlights how Sifter’s technology protects retailer revenue, enhances shopper personalization, and powers innovative state programs like their recent compliance contract with Arkansas.

Key Topics Covered:

• How Sifter supports grocers with shopper personalization and Food as Medicine strategies
• What SNAP waivers are and the current status of state-level implementation
• The financial impact of SNAP waiver compliance on grocers and CPG brands
• How retailers can protect their SNAP licenses and navigate margin shifts
• A deep dive into Sifter’s SNAP waiver compliance partnership with the State of Arkansas
• How Sifter’s proprietary food intelligence technology simplifies complex state-by-state guidelines
• How shoppers and retailers alike can use digital tools to identify SNAP-eligible products in real time

To learn more about Sifter’s SNAP compliance solutions, visit: https://siftersolutions.com/

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Chris Walton is back on GrocerTalk with Ben Miller, and this week, they're shaking things up a little!

From a major shakeup in UK health and beauty to the growing push for healthier grocery shopping and the rise of autonomous delivery robots, there's plenty to unpack. Sponsored by Instacart Enterprise, Portager, Vusion, and Sifter Solutions, Ben and Chris are taking on three big questions: Who stands to win in UK beauty? How can grocers help shoppers make healthier choices? And are sidewalk robots really the future of delivery?

Plus, Kevin Billings of Sifter Solutions joins Ben for Five Insightful Minutes to break down the latest SNAP waivers, what they mean for grocers and CPG brands, and why compliance is becoming increasingly important.

This week, they discuss:

UK Health & Beauty Gets a Shakeup

• The Weston family's $8.9 billion acquisition of Boots and whether new ownership can revive the retailer. (Source)
• Sephora's partnership with Marks & Spencer to bring premium beauty to 100 UK stores, and what the retailers can learn from Sephora's relationship with Kohl's. (Source)
• The latest M&A headlines, including Sainsbury's walking away from Morrisons merger talks (Source), rumors of a Starbucks and Chipotle deal (Source), and Tesco's reported interest in Majestic Wine. (Source)

Helping Shoppers Make Healthier Choices

• Sifter Solutions' Kevin Billings joins for Five Insightful Minutes to discuss SNAP waivers, compliance challenges, and what changing restrictions mean for grocers and CPG brands. (Source)
• The Giant Company's new GLP-1 grocery tours and whether nutrition-focused shopping experiences can scale. (Source)
• The ongoing debate over personalized pricing and electronic shelf labels, including the grocery industry's response to the FTC and how ESLs could help shoppers. (Source)

Autonomous Delivery Robots: The Next Big Thing?

• DoorDash and Deliveroo bringing sidewalk delivery robots to five UK cities and what the expansion means for autonomous last-mile delivery. (Source)
• Just Eat expanding robot delivery through its partnership with Morrisons and Starship Technologies. (Source)
• The bigger debate over sidewalk robots versus drones, including Serve Robotics' expansion with Grubhub (Source) and Starship's growing focus on grocery delivery. (Source)

Plus, a few more retail developments they're keeping an eye on.

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

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What happens to grocery loyalty when AI agents start making shopping decisions for consumers? In this edition of 5 Insightful Minutes, recorded live at Groceryshop 2026, Seb Hill, Chief Marketing Officer at TCC Global, joins Omni Talk's Ben Miller to explore how agentic AI could reshape grocery retailing, challenge traditional loyalty programs, and change what it really means to earn a shopper's loyalty.

Drawing on new research from TCC Global, Seb discusses what happens when AI agents begin prioritizing price, convenience, and efficiency over traditional retailer relationships. He and Ben examine whether loyalty programs, personalized offers, and existing metrics can keep up with this shift, why retailers need to look beyond transactions to understand genuine customer loyalty, and how grocery retailers can build stronger shopper relationships in an increasingly AI-driven world.

Key Topics Covered:

• Why agentic AI could be the next major disruption in grocery retail
• What changes when AI agents begin making shopping decisions for consumers
• How agentic commerce could challenge traditional grocery retail models
• What happens to loyalty programs, retailer apps, and personalized offers
• Why traditional loyalty metrics may not reflect genuine shopper loyalty
• How retailers can better measure the strength of customer relationships
• Why price and convenience may no longer be enough to drive loyalty
• How grocery loyalty needs to evolve in the age of AI agents
• What TCC Global's latest grocery research reveals about the future of shopper relationships

Explore TCC Global's research on agentic AI: https://www.tccglobal.com/insights/agenticai-1

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Sponsored Content

Chris Walton is back on GrocerTalk this week, joining Ben Miller for a show all about growth, loyalty and the changing grocery shopping experience. Sponsored by Instacart Enterprise, Portager, Vusion, and Sifter Solutions, they dig into Costco’s growth machine, Morrisons’ latest Click & Collect experiment, and a Kroger double-header on rewards and 24-hour stores.

Plus, TCC Global CMO Seb Hill joins for Five Insightful Minutes on loyalty in the age of agentic commerce.

This week, they discuss:

• Costco’s latest Q4 results, continued momentum in fresh food, and whether its growth story is showing any signs of slowing. (Source)

• Morrisons piloting StrongPoint’s multi-temperature Click & Collect lockers and whether they could ease the operational pressures of grocery ecommerce. (Source)

• TCC Global CMO Seb Hill joins Ben from the Groceryshop show floor to unpack new research on how AI agents could reshape grocery loyalty and customer relationships. (Source)

• Kroger’s new Rewards World Elite Mastercard and whether connecting payments directly to its rewards program is the right move for loyalty. (Source)

• Kroger testing a return to 24-hour stores and whether the potential traffic gains outweigh the operational challenges. (Source)

Plus, in GrocerTalk Grab & Go, Chris covers Kroger’s predictive creative scoring and Walmart’s expanding drone delivery program, while Ben digs into Walmart’s Shop to Light rollout and the return of Trader Joe’s mini tote bag mania.

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

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In this episode, sponsored by Instacart Enterprise, Portager, Vusion, and Sifter Solutions, Ben Miller is joined by Jordan Berke, Founder & CEO of retail consultancy TOMORROW, for his first time on GrocerTalk. Jordan shares a little about his retail background and the work he’s doing at TOMORROW before he and Ben jump into surveillance pricing, the realities of rapid delivery, AI hype becoming reality, and whether retailers are actually listening to their shoppers.

This week, they discuss:

• Seattle approving its Fair and Transparent Pricing policy to ban so-called “surveillance pricing,” and Walmart CEO John Furner laying out the principles that will guide Walmart’s use of AI and pricing technology. (Source) (Source)

• Tesco store employees raising concerns about the operational impact of its Uber Eats and Deliveroo partnerships, and what grocers need to consider as more ecommerce fulfillment shifts into stores. (Source)

• Instacart CEO Chris Rogers’ claim that AI will transform grocery more than any other retail category, what AI shopping agents could mean for the industry, and the growing questions around who ultimately owns the customer relationship. (Source) (Source)

• Sam’s Club giving its members a bigger role in shaping what it sells through its Member’s Mark Community, which now includes more than 200,000 shoppers providing feedback on products, merchandising decisions and the broader member experience. (Source)

Plus, Jordan joins Ben for GrocerTalk Grab & Go, where they share the grocery stories that have caught their attention this week. Ben digs into Instacart’s latest marketplace partnerships, including Dollar General joining the platform with no price markups, and keeps an eye on the potential sale of Tesco’s Central European operations.

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

Catch up on Omni Talk’s Groceryshop 2026 coverage, including conversations with some of the biggest names across grocery, retail, technology and CPG. Watch the latest interviews and episodes across the Omni Talk LinkedIn page, podcast channels and YouTube.

Episode 007. 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/

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What a few days at Groceryshop 2026. If you weren’t in Las Vegas for the show, this conversation is about as close as you can get to catching up on what mattered.

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.

Live from the Vusion podcast studio at booth 913 at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas, Ben Miller connects with Katie Blackburn, Vice President - Commercial Strategy & Operations at WHSmith North America, for a GrocerTalk conversation on the evolving world of travel retail and the changing needs of airport shoppers.

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.

Live from the Vusion podcast studio at booth 913 at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas, Ben Miller sits down with Arthur Sylvestre, VP of Media & Digital at Danone North America, for a GrocerTalk conversation on the forces shaping media, digital commerce and consumer engagement across the grocery industry.

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.

Live from the Vusion podcast studio at booth 913 at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas, Ben Miller sits down with Jeremy Gosch, Chairman & CEO of Hy-Vee, following his Groceryshop keynote to unpack the biggest themes shaping the future of grocery.

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.

Live from the Vusion podcast studio at booth 913 at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas, Ben Miller welcomes Jim Trahanas, Chief Technology Officer at Fruitist, to explore how a fruit company is using technology, data and AI across its entire value chain.

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.

Live from the Vusion podcast studio at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas, Ben Miller welcomes Andrew Lederman, VP of Global Digital Commerce at Mondelēz International, to explore how grocery shopping is evolving online and what that means for one of the world’s major consumer packaged goods companies.

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.

Live from the Vusion podcast studio at booth 913 at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas, Ben Miller connects with Sjoerd Holleman, Chief Product and AI Officer at Albert Heijn, to explore how AI is reshaping the shopping experience.

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.

Live from the Vusion podcast studio at booth 913 at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas, Ben Miller sits down with Bobby Watts, SVP and Executive Lead of AD Retail Media at Ahold Delhaize USA, to explore how retail media is evolving and where the industry goes next.

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.

Live from the Vusion podcast studio at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas, Chris Walton sits down with Myron Frazier, Chief Merchandising Officer at Sam’s Club, to explore what value means for today’s increasingly deliberate consumer and how Sam’s Club builds its assortment around that idea.

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.

Breaking news from Groceryshop 2026: Dollar General is joining the Instacart Marketplace, a new partnership exclusively revealed to Omni Talk Retail by Ryan Hamburger, Chief Commercial Officer at Instacart, during a live conversation with Ben Miller from the Vusion podcast studio at booth 913 in Las Vegas.

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.

Live from the Vusion podcast studio at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas, Chris Walton catches up with Mark Williamson, AVP of Retail Media at Costco, to discuss the evolution of Costco’s retail media capabilities and how the business is balancing advertising with its core membership experience.

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.

Fresh off the Groceryshop 2026 mainstage, Ben Miller sits down with Yael Cosset, EVP & Chief Digital Officer at Kroger, live from the Vusion podcast studio at booth 913 in Las Vegas, to unpack Kroger’s AI strategy and what comes next as the company moves from experimentation toward more advanced AI applications.

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.