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Kantar Retail Sound Bites

Kantar Retail Sound Bites

Hosted by Kantar Retail

BusinessNewsInterviews guests
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Episodes

100

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Kantar Retail Sound Bites podcast series provides a provocative view of global retail trends, business issues, and other shopper and retail related news.

Listen to episodes

60 recent
August 11, 202630 min

Episode 107: Replay the future of convenience and category management with Bala Gurumoorthy

As part of the Retail Sound Bites summer replay series, Barry Thomas revisits one of the podcast's most impactful conversations, highlighting the evolving role of category management and its growing importance across the retail landscape. Featuring insights from Ferrero's Bala, this episode explores how retailers and CPG manufacturers can use category thinking to drive growth, strengthen shopper engagement, and prepare for the future of commerce. A must-listen for retail leaders, category managers, and FMCG professionals looking to stay ahead of industry change.   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

July 13, 202645 min

Episode 106: Menu Trends Reshaping Retail and Restaurants with Sunny Khamkar

In this episode of Retail Sound Bites, hosts Barry Thomas and Rachel Dalton welcome Sunny Khamkar, a leading food and beverage trends expert, to discuss the forces reshaping the future of foodservice, retail, and consumer dining habits.  From rising food costs and the impact of GLP-1 medications to the growing demand for protein-rich options, global flavors, functional beverages, and personalized meal experiences, Sunny shares the trends transforming menus across restaurants, grocery retailers, and convenience stores. The conversation also explores the rise of prepared meals, the power of limited-time offers, and how retailers can compete for more consumer meal occasions.  Whether you're in retail, foodservice, CPG, or consumer insights, this episode offers a look at the innovations, flavors, and consumer expectations shaping what's next in food and beverage. 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

June 26, 20261 hr 3 min

Episode 105: Challenger brands, changing rules - The race to real scale in beverage with Danny Stepper

The next billion-dollar brands won't be invented by legacy CPG; they'll be acquired from founders. On the latest episode of Retail Sound Bites, Barry Thomas and Rachel Dalton sit down with Danny Stepper, CEO and co-founder of L.A. Libations, to unpack the realities behind scaling a beverage brand. This conversation dives into what separates brands that break through from those that stall, including the role of retail environments like Costco in elevating challenger brands, and why access to networks, capital, and visibility is becoming just as important as shelf space. 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

May 14, 202654 min

Episode 104: TikTok's role in commerce with Jordan Kremm and Steve Light of L&R Distributors

What if TikTok matters to your business more than Amazon? On the latest Retail Sound Bites, we explore why TikTok has become one of the most powerful demand engines retail has ever seen. Featuring Jordan Kremm and Steve Light of L&R Distributors, this episode breaks down how TikTok Shop is reshaping product discovery across generations, why brands are launching on TikTok first, then scaling to retail, how viral moments translate into real, measurable in-store sales, and where most brands are getting TikTok wrong. 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

April 30, 202643 min

Episode 103: Top trends from NACDS with Leigh O'Donnell

What did NACDS really reveal this year? In this Retail Sound Bites episode, Rachel Dalton, Leigh O'Donnell, and Barry Thomas share their candid take on the trends, tensions, and leadership moments shaping drug retail right now. In this conversation, Rachel Dalton, Leigh O'Donnell, and Barry Thomas look beyond the conference agenda to unpack what NACDS really revealed about the state of drug retail. From the implications of GLP‑1 to how retailers are approaching AI adoption, the role of food as medicine, and the push toward more personalized treatment and experiences for shoppers, the discussion connects macro themes to on‑the‑ground reality. Want more learnings from NACDS 2026? Access NACDS 2026: Kantar's top 8 retail healthcare headlines. 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

April 8, 20261 hr 3 min

Episode 102: Minds on the Machine with Andy Murray

In this episode of Retail Sound Bites, Barry Thomas and Rachel Dalton welcome back Andy Murray, former Executive Chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi X and CEO of BigQuest Advisory, to discuss the future of AI through the lens of original research titled Minds on the Machine. Based on insights from graduating seniors at the University of Arkansas' Walton College of Business, the conversation reveals a strong theme of pragmatic optimism. While students recognize AI's growing role across industries, they are deeply focused on preserving human judgment, creativity, and connection. Andy explains why taste and judgment remain the true human advantage as AI becomes more efficient yet increasingly homogeneous. The episode explores agentic AI, the future of marketing and commerce, and why brands and retailers must invest not only in technology, but equally in developing human capabilities to thrive in an AI‑enabled world. 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

March 11, 202648 min

Episode 101: European buying groups with Paida Mugudubi

Retail buying groups are reshaping the balance of power in Europe's grocery landscape. In this episode of Retail Sound Bites, Barry Thomas and Rachel Dalton are joined by Paida Mugudubi to unpack how buying groups work, why they've grown so influential across Europe, and what they mean for brands navigating pricing, negotiations, private label, and retail media in a world where "nothing stays local." 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

February 26, 202645 min

Episode 100: The Retail Reset - 100 Sound Bites Later

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 ·

February 5, 202656 min

Episode 99: 2026 Food and Beverage Trends with Brian Choi of The Food Institute

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

January 22, 20261 hr 2 min

Episode 98: National Retail Federation 2026: Retail's Big Show

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

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