Kantar Retail Sound Bites

Retail Sound Bites marks a major milestone with its 100th episode, celebrating four years of conversations at the intersection of retail, CPG, and commerce transformation. Hosts Barry Thomas and Rachel Dalton kick off the episode by reflecting on the journey so far and spotlighting the top 10 most‑listened‑to episodes from the past four years.
The episode also features Ted Riedel, President of Kantar's North American Retail Practice, and James May, EVP of CPG & Hospitality. In a fast‑paced, candid conversation, they explore:
·       How modern health, GLP‑1s, and protein‑led innovation are reshaping portfolios
·       Why agentic commerce, AI, and algorithmic decision‑making are the next frontier
·       The evolving, often fractured but interdependent relationship between brands and retailers
·       Which KPIs matter less today and why incrementality, precision, and proprietary data matter more
·       What it really takes to future‑proof a CPG organization in 2026 and beyond
Have a topic you'd like us to cover? Contact us at Kantar's Retail Sound Bites Podcast.
Contact Barry: Email | LinkedIn
Contact Rachel: Email | LinkedIn
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What will value really mean for food and beverage in 2026?
On the latest episode of Retail Sound Bites, Barry Thomas and Rachel Dalton sit down with Brian Choi, CEO of The Food Institute, to unpack the forces reshaping the industry, including deeply value‑obsessed consumer to the rise of challenger brands and experience‑led innovation.
🎙️ Key takeaways from the conversation:
Consumer confidence remains historically low, forcing brands to clearly justify price through either affordability or unmistakable quality
Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and older shoppers are fragmenting demand, making one‑size‑fits‑all strategies obsolete
Premiumization isn't disappearing, but it's migrating to value‑oriented retailers like Walmart and Costco
2026 is shaping up to be the Year of the Challenger Brand, with speed, authenticity, and flavor‑forward innovation winning
Health, policy pressure, and global flavors are converging to redefine what "winning" products look like
If you're leading strategy in CPG, retail, or food service, this episode is a must‑listen.
Have a topic you'd like us to cover? Contact us at Kantar's Retail Sound Bites Podcast.
Contact Barry: Email | LinkedIn
Contact Rachel: Email | LinkedIn

In this episode of Retail Sound Bites, Barry and Rachel are joined by Amar Singh and David Marcotte for a rapid‑fire download on everything we saw, heard, and learned at NRF 2026: Retail's Big Show.
From global tech innovation to the rise of agentic commerce, frictionless checkout, robotics, synthetic data, and the power of creators, this episode is packed with the signals shaping the next era of retail.
🎧 Highlights include:
• Why data is king and trust is the new currency in AI‑powered retail
• Emerging global tech players redefining innovation
• RFID's leap into frictionless checkout + storewide intelligence
• What Lowe's, Walmart, Google, and Ralph Lauren are doing to accelerate AI adoption
• The growing influence of creators, community, and under‑priced attention
 
Listen in for the trends that matter and what they mean for retailers, brands, and the future of commerce.
Have a topic you'd like us to cover? Contact us at Kantar's Retail Sound Bites Podcast.
Contact Barry: Email | LinkedIn
Contact Rachel: Email | LinkedIn

In this episode of Retail Sound Bites, Jeff Maloy, vice president of retail, sales, and shopper, and Rohan Mazumdar, vice president of retail consulting, at Kantar, join hosts Rachel Dalton and Barry Thomas in a discussion about this year's PoweRanking® findings.
Kantar's PoweRanking® report is the industry's leading assessment of best-in-class manufacturers and retailers. In an annual survey, companies are ranked on a range of factors, from strategic metrics to business fundamentals, capturing input from several key industry leaders.
This year's report found that in a year defined by market fluctuation and growth challenges, "relevance" is key to joint retailer and manufacturer growth.
View the executive summary to understand how to win the relevance battle and learn strategic imperatives for 2026 and beyond.
Exclusive | NYC's Meadow Lane gourmet grocery debuts amid affordability crisis | New York Post​
First Walmart-branded store opens in Africa | Chain Store Age​
The AI trifecta transforming CPG and retail​
https://www.retaildive.com/news/winners-losers-black-friday-2025/806610/​
https://news.adobe.com/news/2025/12/adobe-cyber-monday-hits-record​

In this episode of Retail Sound Bites, Rachel Dalton and Anna Estlund, VP of strategy, insights, and analytics at Pernod Ricard, discuss five critical steps to turn insights into real-time activation for commercial teams. They also discuss the blurring boundaries between alcohol and non-alcohol categories, the rise of modern health and moderation trends, premiumization despite economic headwinds, and more.
Have a topic you'd like us to cover? Contact us at Kantar's Retail Sound Bites Podcast.
Contact Barry: Email | LinkedIn
Contact Rachel: Email | LinkedIn
https://kriq.kantarretailiq.com/en/p-iq/insights/blogs/top-10-lessons-from-the-create-2025-restaurant-show
The 2025 Retail Intelligence Report | Progressive Grocer
https://www.grocerydive.com/news/amazon-whole-foods-store-within-store-automated-micro-fulfillment/804749/
https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-shop-exec-ai-is-powerful-tool-for-ecommerce-fraud-2025-11
https://www.modernretail.co/technology/walmart-adds-ai-generated-audio-summaries-to-select-product-pages/