A new frontier - how tech is changing grocery retail

The Coronavirus pandemic caused a shock to the grocery retail sector like none we've seen before. But with great challenges, often come great innovations.

Technology now plays a bigger role in the average consumer's shopping experience than ever before and the changes we were all forced to make have opened the doors to even more innovation in the future.

In this episode of the Table Talk podcast, Stefan Gates is joined by two experts to look at how technology has altered the grocery shopping landscape, and how it could shape its future too.

They look at the biggest technological successes in the sector, as well as the biggest failures - the big winners and losers of the past few years.

Will QR codes still play a key role a decade from now? How can mobile apps transform the shopping experience? Will automation become the norm?

And what could all of the above mean for employment, data protection, and the price of food?

Will blockchain develop to become the backbone of the grocery retail sector? Or will it be left looking like little more than a broken promise?

Will the Metaverse become the new digital hypermarket? Or will it be consigned to the trash can?

And which technological advances will we and won't we still be talking about in 10 years' time?

Mike Watkins, Head of Retailer and Business Insight, Nielsen IQ

Mike is Head of Retailer and Business and Insight for Nielsen IQ in the UK and is responsible for commercial development with food, non-food and e-commerce retailers.

With over 30 year’s retail experience, he is a lead contributor of thought leadership and regularly shares his viewpoints on the `State of the Nation' with the media and at Conferences.

As a member of the Nielsen IQ Thought Leadership team, he supports retailer, manufacturer and financial services clients with retail, business and shopper insight for Europe.

Mike is also a member of the KPMG/Ipsos Retail Think Tank.

Will Broome, CEO & Founder, Ubamarket

Will started his career marketing Musical Theatre Productions in the USA. On his return to the UK, he joined one of the world’s leading PR Agencies, Ketchum Inc, where he managed the PR and live events for London Fashion Week, Wonderbra and Wrangler Jeans. 

He broke out on his own to set up one of the live event industry’s original ‘dot com’ tech successes and became one of the youngest UK Presidents of the International Live events association (ILEA). 

His passion for pioneering tech solutions led him to the retail industry where, for the last six years, Will has been immersed in research and development. The result is the launch of Ubamarket.