Kroger’s Q2 Reality Check, AI Shopping Assistants & The Changing Grocery Landscape | GrocerTalk

In this episode, sponsored by Instacart Enterprise, Portager, Vusion, and Sifter Solutions, Ben Miller is joined by Chris Walton, President and CEO of Omni Talk, live from NRF Retail’s Big Show Europe in Paris, to unpack the latest grocery news and trends shaping the global grocery and CPG industry. This week, they discuss: • Kroger’s stalled performance and lowered 2026 sales outlook, examining whether the challenges facing the supermarket giant are specific to Kroger, the broader supermarket format, or consumer confidence: https://www.supermarketnews.com/finance/kroger-cuts-same-store-sales-outlook-for-2026 • Instacart and Shipt launching AI-powered shopping assistants, and what the latest developments in AI-powered grocery shopping mean for the customer experience retailers should be working toward: https://www.grocerydive.com/news/instacart-shipt-launch-ai-powered-shopping-assistants/829859/ • Walgreens partnering with Looma to deploy in-store advertising screens, and whether working with a partner that provides hardware, content production, and measurement is the right approach to in-store digitization: https://chainstoreage.com/news-briefs/2026-09-08?article=walgreens-deploy-store-advertising-screens • Albertsons expanding its board and naming Meg Whitman as its first Executive Chair, examining what the appointment could signal for the company and the wider grocery industry: https://www.grocerydive.com/news/albertsons-expands-board-names-first-executive-chair-meg-whitman/829895/ Plus, Kim Schneider of Vestcom joins us for Five Insightful Minutes to explore how grocers can maximize their investment in shelf-edge technologies. A few things worth checking out from this week’s episode: Don’t miss our exclusive interviews from NRF Retail’s Big Show Europe in Paris, featuring the retail leaders and innovators shaping the future of grocery and retail. Catch them on the Omni Talk LinkedIn page, podcast channels, and YouTube. Register for Omni Talk’s Fall Conference Season “Must-See” Tech Preview: https://www.linkedin.com/events/omnitalk-sfallconferenceseason-7486477216600518656/theater/ Episode 005. 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.