Grocery Retail and the Accelerating Pace of Disruption with Lindsey Mazza and Stewart Samuel

Our final episode recorded live at GroceryShop in the Vantage podcast studio features two of the world's leading experts on all things retail: Lindsey Mazza, Global Retail Lead at CapGemini and Stewart Samuel, Director of Retail Futures at IGD. In a wide ranging conversation we delve into the important trends affecting the grocery industry--and retail more broadly--including sustainability, the evolving supply chain, automation, collaboration, cyber-security, retail media networks, and the blurring of the lines between digital and physical.

As usual, we kick things off with our hot-takes on the week in retail news, starting with an upside surprise in job creation in both the United States and Canada and what that might mean for the "higher for longer" interest rate outlook. We then move on to do a quick check in on one of Steve's 2023 predictions: the "disruptor reset" and ponder what to make of Toys R Us' reboot. We then unpack a report from JLL on the massive increase in luxury brands opening their open stores and the impact on the luxury department store sector, before closing with earnings reports from Levi's and Tesco.

About Lindsey

Lindsey is a retail industry thought leader who specializes in consumer centric omnichannel commerce and innovation. With twenty years of extensive experience in retail supply chain, she leads digital transformation in analytics-enabled integrated planning and execution, serving clients across retail industry sub-segments including grocery, mass merchandise, apparel, footwear, personal care, and mobility. Lindsey has global experience working with a diverse set of tier-one retail and CPG companies. Within these top organizations, Lindsey has transformed operations, reducing cost, unlocking channel growth, and creating sustainable futures.

Lindsey is the Global Retail Lead for Capgemini Group.

About Stewart

With a deep understanding of retailer strategies, digital transformation, cutting-edge innovation, AI, automation, and strategic shifts toward a healthier and more sustainable future, I help companies stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving industry.

I've helped food retailers and their CPG partners to:

- Chart a course through the current economic turbulence, by understanding how to deliver on value beyond price
- Discover new, innovative store formats, including experience-driven, digitally-enabled, and highly efficient concepts
- Understand the challenges of ecommerce and maximizing profitability in an increasingly online world
- Learn about new financial models and alternative revenue streams
- Embrace the shift towards contactless checkout and payment technologies
- Stay ahead of the curve on health and wellness and sustainability, and understanding the associated costs of decarbonization efforts

I have a proven track record of working with C-level business leaders, executives, and senior business teams from a diverse range of countries including Canada, USA, Australia, UK, Ireland, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Brazil, UAE, and New Zealand. My deep expertise in strategy development has helped these clients to reach their business goals and I am proud of the impact I have made. With a commitment to excellence, I bring my wealth of experience and know-how to every client engagement, delivering results that speak for themselves.

I'd love to connect with you, so send me an invite or message at stewart.samuel@igd.com.

More of our insights can be viewed at https://retailanalysis.igd.com/subscriber-home.

About Us

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor, keynote speaker, and bestselling author of focused on growth, innovation, and the impact of digital disruption. He is widely considered one of the foremost and influential voices in the retail industry. You can learn more about Steve on his website. His #1 bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption is available at Amazon or just about anywhere else books are sold. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can also check out his speaker "sizzle" reel here.

Michael LeBlanc is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast, The Voice of Retail, plus Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. You can learn more about Michael here or on LinkedIn.

Be sure and check out Michael's latest venture for fun and influencer riches - Last Request Barbecue, his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

About Us

Steve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling author of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.

Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the NRF as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2026 and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.