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Which retailers are winning 2026? Chris Walton and Placer.ai’s Ethan Chernofsky return for their annual mid-year report card, diving into the brands outperforming expectations, the trends redefining consumer behavior, and why malls, grocery stores, Starbucks, and even Dairy Queen all have important lessons for the future of retail.
Zello Chief Revenue Officer Soroosh Seyhoon joins Chris Walton to discuss how voice intelligence and frontline communication technology are transforming retail store operations, and why retailers need to start capturing the conversations happening on their sales floor to measure inputs, not just outputs, and build a truly connected store.
China’s dairy market went from near zero to a global force in roughly 40 years, and Mengniu has been at the center of that story. Chris Walton sat down with Chen Yiyi, Vice President of Mengniu Group, live from the CGF Global Summit 2026 in Vienna to talk aging consumers, GLP-1 trends, product traceability, and why the food company of the future looks a lot more like a health solution provider than a traditional manufacturer.
There are more than 300 sustainability compliance programs on the market and the number keeps growing. Chris Walton sat down with Luiza Reguse, Senior Manager of Sustainable Supply Chain Initiatives at the Consumer Goods Forum, live from the CGF Global Summit 2026 in Vienna to talk audit fatigue, regenerative agriculture, the limits of checkbox compliance, and why the people writing sustainability standards need to have spent time on the ground first.
Global brands are losing market share. Scope 3 emissions are the next unsolved problem. And AI is accelerating everything, including the competition. Chris Walton sat down with Scott Price, Group CEO of DFI Retail Group, live from the CGF Global Summit 2026 in Vienna to talk decentralization, sustainability, carbon reporting standards, and the leadership lessons that only come from working across industries, companies, and cultures around the world.
Seventy-five percent of CPG companies are stuck in pilot mode. Half of retailers have already scaled AI. And the gap is only getting wider. Chris Walton sat down with Nicolas de Bellefonds, Managing Director of BCG X for EMEA and South America, live from the CGF Global Summit 2026 in Vienna to talk about what separates the AI leaders from the laggards, why incrementalism is a trap, and how the lighthouse approach might be the most practical path to real transformation.
Twenty thousand autonomous delivery vehicles. One hundred and sixty million kilometers. Chris Walton sat down with Will Zhao, Executive President of Neolix AI, live from the CGF Global Summit 2026 in Vienna to talk fleet density, regulatory shifts, supply chain consistency, and why the future of autonomous delivery is arriving faster than most people think.
Latin America is one of the biggest growth stories in global consumer goods and it’s not getting nearly enough attention. Chris Walton sat down with Erika Rodríguez Cuervo, General Manager for Latin America at the Consumer Goods Forum, live from the CGF Global Summit 2026 in Vienna to talk sustainability, plastic circularity, AI, and why the region’s next chapter could be its most exciting yet.
Rita Kerbaj, Chief Strategy Officer at the Rohlik Group, explains why online grocery profitability comes down to dedicated fulfillment infrastructure, operational discipline, and a customer-first omnichannel strategy. From same-day delivery to automation and dark stores, she shares what it takes to build an online grocery model that actually works.
Leadership shakeups, surging e-grocery sales, digital profitability milestones, nostalgia-fueled marketing campaigns, and Target’s latest design play all took center stage this week. Chris Walton and Jenn Hahn unpack whether Ahold Delhaize made the right CEO hire, what a 28% jump in e-grocery sales says about today’s consumers, whether Kroger’s e-commerce profitability is cause for celebration, and if retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond and Target are looking backward when they should be looking forward.
Customer trust is built through much more than price. Ryan Baker of Bunnings explains how content, fulfillment, services, and AI all work together to help customers complete projects with confidence while keeping the customer at the center of every decision.
Innovation starts with solving real problems. Raha Been of 3M explains how her background in scientific research influences product development today, why consumer insights are critical to successful innovation, and how brands like Scotch-Brite, Command, and Post-it continue evolving to meet changing customer needs.
Sustainability is often treated as a business objective. Steffen Erath of Hansgrohe argues it should be treated as an innovation strategy. From planet-centered innovation and water conservation to AI’s role in solving environmental challenges, Erath explains why the most successful products don’t force customers to choose between performance and sustainability. Instead, they deliver both.
While AI dominated conversations at the Global DIY Summit, Robert Wicha of Castorama Poland explains why trust, data quality, and helping customers make better decisions remain the true drivers of retail success.
While AI dominated much of the conversation at the Global DIY Summit, Harri Karumo of Kesko explained why the real competitive advantage may come from something less flashy: connected customer data. By combining insights across grocery, home improvement, and automotive businesses, Kesko is building a deeper understanding of customer behavior while using AI to improve operations, marketing, and decision-making across the organization.
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. Know More →
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