Walmart introduced "Ask Sparky," an AI assistant that helps customers find products, synthesize reviews, and get personalized recommendations through natural language searches. The company plans to evolve Sparky into agentic AI that can automatically take actions, positioning Walmart in the super app conversation alongside Google and Amazon.

Special thanks to the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand for sponsoring this week's podcast.

For the full epsisode, head here https://youtu.be/7Xn7tNqtskk

#walmart #genai #agenticai #amazon #amazonai #googleai #retailnews

In this final CGF 2025 interview recorded live from the VusionGroup Podcast Studio, Juan Aguiriano, Group Head of Sustainability at Kerry Group, joins Omni Talk Retail to share how Kerry is helping transform global food systems.

Juan kicks off with what energized him most at the event (0:30) and details a not-so-secret breakfast meeting of CSOs including Ahold’s Alex Holt (1:00). He outlines Kerry’s innovation-with-impact strategy—cutting food waste with shelf-life tech (2:30), reducing sugar and salt while preserving taste (3:30), and scaling biotech platforms like fermentation and enzymes (4:30). He then dives into Kerry’s use of AI for food concept development (5:30), combining chef creativity with data to digitally prototype sustainable products (6:30). Juan closes with a look at carbon tracking, hybrid dairy, and how digital platforms help Kerry measure its footprint across 22,000+ products (9:00), making better food and a better planet achievable—at scale.

#KerryGroup #foodinnovation #sustainablenutrition #cgf2025 #JuanAguiriano #omnitalkretail #AIinFood #HybridDairy #foodwaste #CarbonTracking

Walmart launched a strategic "Who Knew?" advertising campaign featuring actor Walton Goggins to highlight its transformation into a comprehensive Amazon competitor with over 500 million items and superior membership benefits. The campaign positions Walmart Plus as offering more value than Amazon Prime with gas discounts, express delivery, and lower annual subscription costs.

Special thanks to the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand for sponsorship this week's podcast.

For the full epsisode, head here https://youtu.be/7Xn7tNqtskk

#walmart #walmartplus #amazon #retailnews

In this wide-ranging conversation recorded live from the VusionGroup Podcast Studio at CGF 2025, Alex Holt, Chief Sustainability Officer at Ahold Delhaize, explains how the grocery giant is making sustainability simple and scalable. She shares her retail journey (0:30), the brand’s “Healthy Communities and Planet” strategy (1:20), and how they're nudging healthier customer choices (2:00). Holt unpacks what it takes to embed ESG into the business (2:40), the power of collaboration—including climate hubs and regenerative ag pilots with major CPGs (3:30), and emerging scalable solutions like dynamic pricing to fight food waste (7:00). She closes with optimism around AI’s role in accelerating progress (12:00) and what she's most excited about in the next 3–5 years (12:50).

#AholdDelhaize #sustainability #CGF2025 #aiinretail #foodwaste #retailinnovation #AlexHolt #regenerativeagriculture #nutriscore #guidingstars #omnitalkretail

Live from the VusionGroup Podcast Studio at the Consumer Goods Forum 2025 in Amsterdam, Aldi Süd CEO Christoph Schwaiger shares how one of the world’s most influential grocers is leaning into AI and sustainability to better serve global consumers. He reflects on Aldi’s roots in discount grocery and its mission to make sustainability affordable (1:00), why CGF is a vital forum for collaborative innovation (2:45), and how banana and cashew supply chain changes are reshaping ethical sourcing (4:30). Christoph also discusses how to inspire industry-wide cooperation (5:50), the dual power of AI and sustainability as Aldi’s growth levers (7:00), and the rising importance of cybersecurity—especially at the human level (8:30).

#aldisüd #CGF2025 #retailinnovation #grocerytech #sustainability #aiinretail #cybersecurity #DiscountRetail #omnitalkretail

Live from the VusionGroup Podcast Studio at the Consumer Goods Forum 2025, Eric Riegger, Group CFO of Metro AG, breaks down how one of Europe’s largest wholesalers is investing in tech, AI, and cybersecurity to meet rising customer demands and support long-term growth. He shares his retail journey from Lidl and Aldi to Metro (1:00), contrasts the U.S. and European grocery landscapes (2:30), and explains where AI offers the highest ROI today (4:00). Eric also discusses the lessons learned from a disruptive cyberattack (6:00), the cost of recovery (7:30), and how Metro is rebuilding trust through system harmonization and operational reliability (8:30). Plus, hear what brought him to CGF 2025 and why supplier partnerships and food culture remain central to Metro’s mission (10:00).

#MetroAG #CGF2025 #retailinnovation #retailai #cybersecurity #WholesaleGrowth #grocerytech #retailleadership #omnitalkretail #cfoinsights

In this thoughtful interview recorded live from the VusionGroup Podcast Studio at CGF 2025, Wesley Wilson, Head of North America for the Consumer Goods Forum, discusses how global retailers and brands are navigating rapid consumer and technological shifts. He shares CGF’s three pillars—leadership development, industry-wide innovation, and impact (0:45)—and why consumer health and values are top of mind in 2025 (3:00). Wesley also dives into affordability and wellness trade-offs (7:00), the role of data in building better shopping tools (9:00), and how collaboration can drive innovation and responsible tech adoption across the industry (10:00).

#CGF2025 #retailinnovation #ConsumerGoodsForum #healthandwellness #retailleadership #digitaltransformation #retailai #foodasmedicine #omnitalkretail #futureofshopping

In this energetic interview recorded live from the VusionGroup Podcast Studio at CGF 2025 in Amsterdam, Danone Eurozone President Pablo Perversi sits down with Omni Talk to explore how the brand is transforming food systems across Europe. He shares insights into Danone's mission-first strategy (1:00), how science and branding power gut health innovation like Activia and kefir (3:30), and how AI is optimizing operations and segmentation at scale (7:00). Pablo also reveals what’s behind Danone’s renewed internal pride and external momentum (9:00) and why health, purpose, and digital capabilities are driving the company's next big leap forward (10:30).

#danone #CGF2025 #foodasmedicine #functionalnutrition #retailai #CPGLeadership #ConsumerGoodsForum #HealthThroughFood #digitaltransformation #omnitalkretail

In this inspiring conversation recorded live from the VusionGroup Podcast Studio at CGF 2025 in Amsterdam, Bel Group CEO Cecile Béliot-Zind takes Omni Talk inside the company’s mission to balance performance and sustainability through innovation. She breaks down how Bel uses regenerative agriculture (7:00), artificial intelligence for shopper guidance (9:00), and virtual twin tech to accelerate sustainable product development (11:00). Cecile also reflects on her path from Danone to Bel (3:00), the power of collaboration across the food supply chain (6:00), and why the future of food must start with nature and partnership.

#BelGroup #CGF2025 #sustainablefood #aiinretail #regenerativeagriculture #foodinnovation #omnitalkretail #babybel #circulareconomy #retailleadership #healthysnacking

In this live interview recorded from the VusionGroup Podcast Studio at the Consumer Goods Forum 2025 in Amsterdam, Jonquil Hackenberg, CEO of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, shares how retailers and brands can embrace circularity to tackle waste and promote sustainability at scale. From United Nations treaty negotiations on plastic (2:30) to launching 150+ regenerative food products (4:50), and the role of retail in reshaping consumer behavior (5:15), Jonquil outlines the tools and collaborations needed to normalize circular thinking. Plus, discover how to connect with the foundation's North American team (6:00) and why affordability and cool factor are key to sustainable product adoption.

#circulareconomy #sustainability #retailinnovation #EllenMacArthurFoundation #CGF2025 #plasticwaste #regenerativeagriculture #retailleadership #zerowaste #omnitalkretail