Welcome to GrocerTalk! In this launch episode, sponsored by Instacart Enterprise, Portager, and Vusion, Ben Miller is joined by Omni Talk President & CEO Chris Walton to unpack the biggest stories in global grocery retail and what they mean for the industry. They kick things off with Couche-Tard’s US$8.7 billion bid for Żabka and Kroger’s move to combine grocery and prescription delivery.
Ben and Chris also dive into the growing role of AI in grocery, from Schnucks’ conversational shopping assistant to Just Eat’s AI Voice Assistant, before closing with Amazon’s new AutoStore agreement and what it could mean for the future of automated grocery fulfillment as Amazon and Walmart accelerate their investments in micro-fulfillment and automation.
This week, they discuss:
• 00:08:40 – Couche-Tard’s US$8.7bn Bid for Żabka
• 00:16:25 – Kroger Combines Grocery & Prescription Delivery
• 00:24:00 – Schnucks Launches Conversational AI Shopping Assistant
• 00:31:00 – Just Eat Rolls Out Its AI Voice Assistant Across Europe
• 00:35:56 – Amazon Partners with AutoStore on Fulfillment Automation
• 00:42:59 – GrocerTalk Grab & Go: Walmart, C&S, Ahold Delhaize, Waitrose & More
Ben and Chris also explore the bigger themes connecting this week’s stories, including the shift toward automated grocery fulfillment, changing consumer search and shopping habits, the importance of digital ecosystems, and the growing role of AI in both shopper and associate experiences.
GrocerTalk is a new weekly podcast from the Omni Talk Podcast Network covering the trends, innovations, and technologies shaping global grocery and CPG.
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.
Omni Talk® is the retail blog for retailers, written by retailers. Chris Walton founded Omni Talk® in 2017 and have quickly turned it into one of the fastest growing blogs in retail.