Stay ConnectedOmni Talk Retail provides news, analysis, and commentary on the latest trends and issues in the retail industry. Created by a retailer, Chris Walton, for retailers, Omni Talk Retail covers a wide range of topics related to retail, including e-commerce, technology, marketing, and consumer behavior.
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In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna, Chris Walton sits down with Ayla Ziz, Chief Commercial & Customer Officer and SVP Sales Europe at Danone, to discuss how AI, sustainability, and industry collaboration are shaping the future of consumer health.
Ayla shares how Danone is integrating AI into its commercial operations, why the company views AI as an enabler rather than a threat, and how skills-based workforce development is helping employees prepare for an increasingly digital future. She also discusses her leadership role within The Consumer Goods Forum Coalition for Healthier Lives and how retailers and manufacturers are working together to promote healthier diets, improve employee well-being, and drive measurable impact for consumers around the world.
Key Topics Covered:
• Ayla Ziz's role as Chief Commercial & Customer Officer and SVP Sales Europe at Danone
• How AI is transforming commercial operations and decision-making
• Why Danone sees AI as an enabler for speed, scale, and productivity
• Danone's approach to workforce development and AI training
• The importance of skills-based talent management in an AI-driven world
• The meaning behind the phrase "Performance without sustainability has no future"
• How Danone balances business growth with sustainability goals
• Ayla's leadership role in The Consumer Goods Forum Coalition for Healthier Lives
• The coalition's focus on healthier diets, wellness, and employee well-being
• Why defining "healthy" looks different across global markets
• How retailers and manufacturers collaborate around shared health objectives
• The role of industry-wide scorecards and measurement frameworks
• How AI can help scale healthier living initiatives globally
• Why collaboration remains essential to improving consumer health outcomes
• The growing role of technology in advancing public health and wellness
Special thanks to the CGF Leadership Studio sponsored by Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail's coverage in Vienna.
In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna, Chris Walton sits down with Pablo Perversi, President of EMEA at Danone, to discuss how one of the world's leading food companies is navigating the growing consumer focus on health, nutrition, and sustainability.
Pablo shares how the rise of GLP-1 medications is influencing consumer behavior, why protein has become one of the most important growth drivers in food, and how Danone is investing in emerging areas like gut health and healthy aging. He also explains the business value of B Corp certification, the role sustainability plays in attracting consumers and talent, and why health-focused innovation will continue to shape the future of the food industry.
Key Topics Covered:
• Pablo Perversi's expanded leadership role at Danone and across the European food industry
• How GLP-1 medications are changing consumer eating habits
• Why protein has become a major growth engine for Danone
• The growing connection between consumer education and nutrition choices
• Danone's perspective on health-driven food innovation
• How B Corp certification supports brand differentiation
• The relationship between sustainability and consumer trust
• Why B Corp certification helps attract talent
• The future of gut health and functional nutrition
• Danone's investments in microbiome science and Akkermansia
• How healthy aging is creating new opportunities in nutrition
• The role of medical nutrition in supporting aging populations
• Why health and wellness trends are reshaping the food industry
Special thanks to the CGF Leadership Studio sponsored by Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail's coverage in Vienna.
In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna, Chris Walton sits down with Wesley Wilson, Regional Director, North America at the Consumer Goods Forum, to discuss the biggest trends shaping the future of retail and consumer goods.
One year into his leadership role, Wilson reflects on how the Consumer Goods Forum is expanding its innovation initiatives ahead of the 2027 Global Summit in San Francisco. He explains why AI is becoming an essential tool for managing complexity, how GLP-1 medications are accelerating consumer demand for better nutrition, and why pre-competitive collaboration is becoming increasingly important as retailers and manufacturers navigate industry-wide challenges together.
Key Topics Covered:
Special thanks to the CGF Leadership Studio sponsored by Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail's coverage from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna.
In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026, Chris Walton sits down with John Ross, President & CEO of IGA, as the organization celebrates its 100th anniversary and reflects on the evolving role of independent grocers around the world.
Ross explains how IGA's network of more than 8,000 independent stores across 30+ countries is helping local retailers compete at scale while preserving their community-first approach. He also shares why collaboration across retailers and manufacturers is essential to addressing human rights in global supply chains, how IGA is simplifying retail media for independent operators, and why long-term sustainability must remain a business priority regardless of shifting political climates.
Key Topics Covered:
Special thanks to the CGF Leadership Studio sponsored by Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail's coverage from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna.
In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna, Chris Walton sits down with Rhiannon Thomas, Global Lead of Consumer, Retail, and Luxury at Kearney, to discuss how retail and consumer goods companies are redefining value creation in an AI-driven world as Kearney celebrates its 100th anniversary.
Rhiannon explains why traditional scale advantages are becoming less important than category expertise, how leading organizations are creating value by connecting functions across the business, and why AI success requires more than simply implementing use cases. She also shares how retailers and brands can accelerate innovation, rethink merchandising and product development processes, and prepare their operating models for a future shaped by AI.
Key Topics Covered:
• Kearney's 100-year perspective on business transformation
• Why category expertise is becoming more valuable than scale
• The changing drivers of value creation in retail and consumer goods
• How companies can unlock value through end-to-end collaboration
• The connection between product design and business performance
• Why AI leaders focus on outcomes, not just processes
• How retailers are reimagining merchandising from a blank sheet of paper
• The role of startup ecosystems in accelerating innovation
• Why faster product renovation cycles create competitive advantage
• The importance of balancing top-line growth and bottom-line efficiency
• How AI is changing retail operating models
• Why the industry must move beyond AI use cases to enterprise-wide transformation
Special thanks to the CGF Leadership Studio sponsored by Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail's coverage in Vienna.
In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna, Chris Walton sits down with Sharon Bligh, Director of Health and Sustainability at the Consumer Goods Forum, to discuss the evolving intersection of consumer health, sustainability, food waste, climate action, and AI.
Drawing on insights from CGF's latest Healthier Lives report, Sharon explains why global attitudes toward health and well-being are rapidly changing, how retailers and manufacturers can help consumers make healthier choices, and why trends such as solo eating, scratch cooking, GLP-1 medications, and AI-powered health guidance are reshaping the future of food and retail.
Sharon also shares updates on global food waste reduction efforts, the role retailers can play in helping consumers waste less food at home, and what companies should know about AI's environmental impact as sustainability leaders navigate the next phase of climate action.
Key Topics Covered:
• Highlights from CGF's Healthier Lives report developed with Bain
• Why consumer attitudes toward health and well-being are changing globally
• The growing desire for home cooking and scratch cooking
• The rise of solo eating and its impact on food purchasing behavior
• How GLP-1 medications are reshaping consumer food choices
• AI, health misinformation, and the future of consumer trust
• How retailers can help consumers make healthier decisions
• Progress on global food waste reduction efforts
• Why household food waste remains a major challenge
• How AI and technology can help reduce food waste at home
• Understanding food date labels and consumer education opportunities
• The relationship between climate action, food systems, and sustainability
• New research on AI's environmental footprint and climate implications
• Where sustainability leaders should focus their climate efforts moving forward
Special thanks to the CGF Leadership Studio sponsored by Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail's coverage in Vienna.
In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna, Chris Walton sits down with Özgür Tort, Migros Türkiye Group CEO, to discuss how one of the world's most advanced grocery retailers is combining e-commerce, automation, AI, and omnichannel operations to serve consumers across Türkiye.
Özgür Tort, Migros Türkiye Group CEO, shares how Migros began experimenting with e-commerce as early as 1997, why digital commerce now accounts for more than 22% of the company's business, and how its network of more than 3,800 stores powers both physical retail and online fulfillment. He explains how automation, robotics, and data-driven operations have transformed online grocery profitability while also detailing the company's approach to convenience formats, hypermarkets, retail media, fintech, and last-mile delivery.
The conversation also explores the future of agentic commerce, why customer reviews are becoming an increasingly important source of AI training data, and how retailers must build strong data foundations and logistics capabilities to remain competitive as AI-powered shopping becomes more mainstream.
Key Topics Covered:
• How the Consumer Goods Forum has evolved since 2013
• Why AI has become a central focus across retail and manufacturing
• Migros Türkiye's e-commerce journey since 1997
• How online sales now represent more than 22% of company revenue
• The role of data quality and product information in digital shopping experiences
• Using stores as fulfillment hubs for online grocery orders
• How automation and robotics improve picking efficiency and profitability
• Achieving delivery windows as fast as 30 minutes in urban markets
• The evolution of supermarkets, hypermarkets, and convenience formats
• Why omnichannel retail is reshaping store expansion strategies
• How online demand is transforming store layouts and operations
• The future impact of agentic commerce on retail
• Why customer reviews are becoming critical AI training data
• Building AI-ready data infrastructure and ERP systems
• The importance of logistics, last-mile delivery, and customer experience
• Retail media, fintech, and emerging growth opportunities for retailers
Special thanks to the CGF Leadership Studio sponsored by Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail's coverage in Vienna.
In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from The Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna, Chris Walton is joined by Alex Holt, Chief Sustainability Officer at Ahold Delhaize, and Christine McGrath, SVP & Chief Impact and Sustainability Officer at Mondelēz International, to discuss how collaboration is reshaping sustainability across the consumer goods industry.
Alex and Christine share how the CGF CSO Forum has quickly become a valuable platform for sustainability leaders to exchange ideas, tackle common challenges, and accelerate progress across both retail and consumer packaged goods. They discuss how sustainability has evolved from a voluntary initiative into a core business priority, why resilience and value creation are becoming central to sustainability strategies, and how AI is opening new opportunities to improve decision making, climate forecasting, and supply chain planning.
Key Topics Covered:
• The origins and purpose of the CGF Chief Sustainability Officer Forum
• How retailers and CPGs are collaborating to accelerate sustainability efforts
• Why sustainability has become a core business and strategic priority
• The growing role of regulation and reporting requirements
• How sustainability initiatives create business value and resilience
• Measuring sustainability's impact on revenue growth and risk reduction
• The importance of integrating sustainability into business strategy
• How AI is helping organizations analyze data and improve decision making
• Predictive climate modeling and forecasting future supply chain risks
• The role of sustainability in building more resilient supply chains
• How sustainability leaders are adapting their organizations and teams
• Why collaboration remains essential to driving industry-wide progress
Special thanks to the CGF Leadership Studio sponsored by Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail's coverage in Vienna.
In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna, Chris Walton is joined by Darren O'Brien, Chief Corporate and Government Affairs Officer and Chief Cocoa Officer at Mondelēz International, to discuss the global cocoa crisis and what it will take to build a more resilient cocoa supply chain for the future.
Darren shares how Mondelēz responded to unprecedented disruptions in cocoa production, why the company created the role of Chief Cocoa Officer, and how diversification, technology, and industry collaboration are reshaping the future of cocoa sourcing. He also discusses the importance of human rights initiatives, the role of collective action in addressing systemic supply chain challenges, and the leadership lessons that come from managing issues that span geographies, governments, and global markets.
Key Topics Covered:
• Why Mondelēz created the role of Chief Cocoa Officer
• Understanding the global cocoa crisis and its impact on the industry
• The risks of relying too heavily on a single sourcing region
• Diversifying cocoa sourcing beyond West Africa
• How flavor profiles influence cocoa sourcing strategies
• Investments in large-scale cocoa farming and agricultural innovation
• Emerging technologies that could transform cocoa production
• The future of cocoa butter and cell-based cocoa innovation
• Mondelēz's progress in building a more resilient cocoa supply chain
• How Cocoa Life supports farming communities and supply chain sustainability
• Addressing child labor through education, remediation, and farmer support programs
• The connection between farm productivity, farmer income, and human rights outcomes
• Why collaboration is essential to improving cocoa-growing communities
• Leadership lessons from managing global issues and board-level responsibilities
• How AI is helping leaders make faster and better-informed decisions
• The importance of managing through teams in a global organization
• Why pre-competitive collaboration may be the key to the future of cocoa
• The role of Together Cocoa and industry-wide technology sharing
• Building a more sustainable, resilient, and predictable cocoa ecosystem by 2035
Special thanks to the CGF Leadership Studio sponsored by Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail's coverage in Vienna.
In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna, Chris Walton is joined by Ruth Lewis, Senior Manager at Bain & Company, to discuss the findings from Bain's new State of Food Habits report and what retailers, brands, and food manufacturers need to understand about the future of consumer eating behaviors.
Ruth shares insights from Bain's latest research into how consumers across the U.S., U.K., France, and Germany are preparing meals, where they are spending their food budgets, and what barriers are preventing healthier eating. She also explores the growing role of food delivery, the long-term implications of GLP-1 adoption, and how AI-powered shopping tools are beginning to influence everything from meal planning and nutrition decisions to price comparisons and grocery purchasing behavior.
Key Topics Covered:
• Key findings from Bain's State of Food Habits report
• Why 70-80% of meals are still consumed at home
• The surprising reality of scratch cooking versus ready-made meals
• How consumers define and approach at-home meal preparation
• The rise of food delivery as a regular at-home meal option
• Why consumers increasingly view food delivery as an affordable treat
• Generational differences in dining and food consumption habits
• The impact of inflation and rising restaurant prices on consumer behavior
• How Gen Z views food delivery versus dining out
• The current state of GLP-1 adoption in the U.S. and U.K.
• Why many consumers discontinue GLP-1 medications
• The long-term implications of GLP-1s for food manufacturers and retailers
• How oral GLP-1 medications could expand adoption in the future
• The growing role of AI and digital tools in grocery decision-making
• How consumers are using technology for nutrition guidance and meal planning
• AI-powered price comparison and promotional shopping trends
• Why product data quality matters in AI-driven product discovery
• How large language models may reshape grocery shopping and brand visibility
• The future of AI-assisted basket building and cross-retailer price optimization
Special thanks to the CGF Leadership Studio sponsored by Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail's coverage in Vienna.
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