In this episode, sponsored by Instacart Enterprise, Portager, Vusion, and Sifter Solutions, Ben Miller is joined by Lauren Livak Gilbert, Executive Director of the Digital Shelf Institute, live from Las Vegas on the eve of Groceryshop 2026, to unpack the latest grocery news and trends shaping the global grocery and CPG industry. They kick things off with growing concerns around autonomous delivery robots in the UK, Target’s appointment of Mark Weinstein as its new Chief Marketing and Guest Experience Officer, and Morrisons’ rollout of Shop to Light across more than 200 stores.
Ben and Lauren then break down Kroger’s decision to remove Red Bull from its stores and fuel centers and what the move says about retailer-supplier negotiations. Plus, they preview Groceryshop 2026, from actionable AI and organizational change to putting the consumer back at the center, before Lauren shares a global grocery story and her must-see Groceryshop session in GrocerTalk Grab & Go.
This week, they discuss:
• 00:05:40 – What’s Holding Autonomous Delivery Robots Back?
• 00:11:48 – What Mark Weinstein’s New Role Means for Target
• 00:18:02 – Can Morrisons’ Shop to Light Make Grocery Shopping Better?
• 00:25:07 – What Kroger’s Red Bull Decision Says About Retailer-Supplier Relations
• 00:31:42 – What Should Groceryshop 2026 Be Talking About?
• 00:37:17 – GrocerTalk Grab & Go: October Retail Deal Days, Food Waste & Groceryshop Must-Sees
A few things worth checking out from this week’s episode:
Follow along with Omni Talk’s coverage from Groceryshop 2026, including exclusive interviews with executives from Kroger, Sam’s Club, Hy-Vee, Costco, Albertsons, Instacart, Ahold Delhaize and more. Catch the interviews across the Omni Talk LinkedIn page, podcast channels and YouTube.
Episode 006. 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
