Lauren Steinberg, EVP and Chief Digital Officer at Loblaw, reveals how Canada's largest grocer is using multi-agent AI architecture, conversational search, and strategic retail media to dominate digital grocery with just 10 people on the AI team.

In this exclusive interview recorded live from the VusionGroup Studio at Groceryshop 2025, Lauren shares:

✅ Multi-agent AI combining LLMs with merchandise agents for personalization

✅ 45% of online grocery add-to-carts happen through search

✅ 10x expansion: from 1,000 to 10,000+ in-store screens with end-caps and in-aisle

✅ Syncing in-store audio and digital screens for unified messaging

✅ The Venn diagram: e-commerce needs retail media, retail media needs loyalty

✅ Building commerce on OpenAI platforms with composable infrastructure

✅ How a lean team of 10 (mostly co-ops) drives AI innovation

✅ 2,400 stores across Canada with 45% online grocery market share

✅ Managing 17 grocery banners under one digital strategy

From a family legacy in grocery retail (her great-grandmother founded Steinberg's) to leading digital innovation at Loblaw, Lauren brings a unique perspective on building flexible, composable technology infrastructure that enables rapid experimentation. Discover how Loblaw uses LLMs to analyze behavioral and transactional data to create rich customer profiles, then runs those through merchandise agents to personalize product recommendations while respecting dietary preferences and lifestyle choices.

Learn why search "keeps Lauren up at night and wakes her up in the morning" and how Loblaw is preparing for answer engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity to change grocery shopping forever.

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#Loblaw #AgenticAI #ConversationalSearch #RetailMedia #GroceryTech #AIPersonalization #Groceryshop

Liz Roche, VP of Media and Measurement at Albertsons Media Collective, reveals how the retail media giant is expanding into full-funnel activation and using rigorous measurement to prove business outcomes that matter.

In this exclusive interview, recorded live from the VusionGroup Podcast Studio at Groceryshop 2025, Liz shares:

✅ Three-channel strategy with CPG spend matching: influencers, in-store screens, on-site ads

✅ Over 2,200 stores across 13 of top 15 DMAs reaching 47 million loyal shoppers

✅ Moving from vanity metrics to KPIs tied to category growth and brand LTV

✅ Using matched market and synthetic control methodologies for sales lift

✅ Multi-cell testing to find channel combination arbitrage (1+1=3)

✅ In-house measurement capabilities: attribution, marketing science, research analytics

✅ Digital out-of-home and last-mile opportunities in grocery

✅ Screens in high-dwell areas: deli, meat counter, pharmacy

With experience spanning Meta, LinkedIn, publishing, and agencies before joining Albertsons nearly a year ago, Liz brings a unique perspective on retail media measurement. Discover how Albertsons leverages scale and divisional structure to run sophisticated experiments isolating variables and proving incremental sales lift.

Learn why Albertsons believes "when our clients are winning, we're winning" and how that philosophy drives their focus on moving units, not just metrics.

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#RetailMedia #Albertsons #MarketingMeasurement #InfluencerMarketing #SalesLift #Groceryshop

Prabash Coswatte,, COO of Heritage Grocers Group, reveals the operational secrets behind running four regional grocery banners and why consolidation is the future for mid-tier retailers.

In this exclusive interview recorded live from the VusionGroup Podcast Studio at Groceryshop 2025, Prabash shares:

✅ Operating Cardenas, Los Altos, Tony's, and El Rancho as distinct regional banners

✅ The "groceraunt" concept—stores as part grocery, part restaurant, full theater

✅ Making tortillas from corn kernel to masa to chips in a single day in-store

✅ Weekly sales recap emails that drive fierce store-level competition

✅ Fresh item management technology delivering shrink savings AND sales lifts

✅ Pricing agility strategies in uncertain economic times

✅ Why regional grocery consolidation is inevitable and necessary

✅ Balancing technology investment with customer-first operations

From his 18-year retail journey starting at 99 Cents Only Stores to becoming COO overseeing operations, manufacturing, and logistics at a $3 billion regional grocer, Prabash brings hard-won insights into what it takes to compete against giants like Walmart and Kroger.

Discover how Heritage maintains what makes each banner special while achieving back-office efficiency, and why fresh-forward merchandising with full butcher shops and in-store kitchens creates the differentiation regional grocers need.

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#HeritageGrocers #RegionalGrocery #GroceryOperations #RetailConsolidation #FreshRetail #Groceryshop

Justin Weinstein, EVP and Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer at Giant Eagle, reveals the 95-year-old family-owned grocer's massive $100 million "Because It Matters" investment strategy and new brand positioning.

In this exclusive interview recorded live from the VusionGroup Podcast Studio at Groceryshop 2025, Justin shares:

✅ The $100M investment split across everyday value, quality/service, and modern stores

✅ How GLP-1 medications are reshaping grocery merchandising and protein assortment

✅ The LEAP retail media network (Loyalty, Experiences, Audiences, Partnerships)

✅ Customer-back versus monetization-back approach to retail media

✅ Training investment in butchers, bakers, cheesemongers, and cake decorators

✅ Regional grocery strategy for price-conscious consumers

✅ Being there for life's moments that matter—from graduations to Thanksgiving

From his seven-plus years at Giant Eagle spanning digital, loyalty, personalization, and customer experience roles, Justin brings unique insights into how regional grocers can compete in today's challenging environment. Discover how Giant Eagle is reinvesting in physical stores while adapting to health trends like GLP-1s that are driving massive shifts in protein demand.

Learn how Giant Eagle is connecting merchandising, marketing, retail media, and e-commerce into one unified commercial strategy focused on what matters most to customers.

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#gianteagle #GroceryRetail #RetailMedia #CustomerExperience #RegionalGrocery #GLP1 #Groceryshop

Joel Rampoldt, CEO of Lidl US, makes his first appearance on Omni Talk to reveal how the European discount grocery powerhouse is approaching the American market with fresh-forward products and unbeatable value.

In this exclusive interview recorded live from the VusionGroup Podcast Studio at GroceryShop 2025, Joel shares:

✅ Lidl's unique position as part of the Schwarz Group (4th largest retailer in the world)

✅ Why they lead with fresh produce, bakery, and protein—not cans and boxes

✅ Their 190-store footprint strategy across the East Coast

✅ The 13,000 square foot curated format that gets customers in and out quickly

✅ Electronic shelf label innovation saving 22 hours per store per week

✅ Building multi-billion dollar private brands Americans can trust

✅ The "my kids will eat it test" for private brand success

From a surprise dinner invitation to becoming CEO, Joel shares his journey and vision for bringing European discount grocery excellence to the US. Discover how Lidl differentiates on quality and price with items like their famous 49-cent imported French croissants, specialty European chocolates, and authentic Italian cheeses—all while maintaining "best quality, best price."

Learn how Lidl balances being "as global as possible, as local as necessary" in the competitive US grocery market.

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#LidlUS #DiscountGrocery #PrivateBrand #GroceryInnovation #RetailTechnology #Groceryshop

Harvey Ma, VP and GM of Retail Media at Sam's Club MAP, reveals how the company is pioneering the retail experience network (RXN) - moving beyond traditional retail media to create measurable, memorable experiences for members.

In this exclusive interview recorded live from the VusionGroup Studio at Groceryshop 2025, Harvey shares:

✅ Why Sam's Club MAP transformed from a retail media network to a retail experience network

✅ The NASCAR race car strategy that drove member acquisition in Nashville

✅ How their new app platform enables dynamic retail media experiences

✅ The role of AI and agentic technology in retail media's future

✅ Innovative measurement strategies for experiential marketing

✅ The balance between Scan and Go technology and personal cashier interactions

With 15 years in retail media, Harvey brings unparalleled insights into measurement innovation, experiential marketing, and the future of AI in retail. From interactive in-store experiences to agent-to-agent transactions, discover how Sam's Club MAP is setting new standards for member engagement.

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#RetailMedia #SamsClub #RetailInnovation #AI #GroceryShop #ExperientialMarketing #RetailTechnology

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, A&M’s Joanna Rangarajan and Mohit Mohal joined Chris and Anne to discuss Nike x Skims partnership implications, Jaden Smith's appointment as Christian Louboutin's first men's creative director, AI search queries in daily life, and more! Our panel analyzes which brand benefits more from the Nike-Skims collab, the generational shift in luxury creative leadership, and shares personal AI search experiences. Plus, Star Wars movie plans and weekend cooking adventures!

For the full Fast Five episode head here

#NikexSkims #ChristianLouboutin #JadenSmith #AI #ecommerce #retailfulfillment 

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, A&M’s Joanna Rangarajan and Mohit Mohal joined Chris and Anne to discuss Kroger's decision to bring back paper coupons alongside their digital offerings. Our experts debate whether this move represents smart customer listening or a step backward, exploring the psychology of tangible deals and how this serves different customer segments. With 40% of consumers preferring paper coupons for their tangible feel, we analyze this surprising retail strategy!

For the full Fast Five episode head here

#Kroger #ecommerce #retailfulfillment #Coupons #Grocery

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, A&M’s Joanna Rangarajan and Mohit Mohal joined Chris and Anne to analyze Sephora's launch of My Sephora Storefront, giving influencers customizable digital storefronts. With 70-75% of beauty purchases influenced by social media, we explore how this platform eliminates friction for creators and followers while positioning Sephora for AI-powered discovery. Our panel discusses the benefits for all parties and whether this move is transformational or evolutionary!

For the full Fast Five episode head here

#Sephora #ecommerce #retailfulfillment #MySephoraStorefront #Creator #influencers

In this week’s Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, A&M’s Joanna Rangarajan and Mohit Mohal joined Chris and Anne to explore Google's major move to integrate Gemini AI into Chrome for all users. Our retail experts discuss how retailers should prepare for generative engine optimization (GEO), the shift from traditional SEO, and strategies for succeeding across multiple AI platforms. Learn why diversification is key and how this chess move positions Google against ChatGPT and other AI search engines!

For the full Fast Five episode head here

#AI #GEO #SEO #ecommerce #retailfulfillment #gemini #Google #AIintegration