When Amanda Oren and I finally connected after a month of calendar wrangling, I knew the wait was worth it. As VP of Industry Strategy for Grocery North America at Relex, Amanda brings a unique perspective – she joined the company after being a customer herself, giving her both the retailer's and the technology provider's view of the rapidly evolving grocery landscape.Our conversation quickly dived into how Relux's AI-powered demand forecasting is helping grocers reduce inventory costs by an impressive 20% while simultaneously improving product availability and reducing waste. The platform sits atop retailers' transactional systems, aggregating data to optimize everything from shelf space allocation to safety stock levels. For an industry with razor-thin margins, these efficiencies represent significant competitive advantages.We tackled the thorny topic of supply chain transparency and the looming FSMA 204 regulation that takes effect in January 2026. Amanda painted a vivid picture of the practical challenges: tracking an individual orange from farm to shopping cart would require RFID tags on every piece of produce, a capability that simply doesn't exist today. Similarly, tracing which specific avocados went into store-made guacamole presents near-impossible complexities. The industry is actively working to help legislators understand these realities while still advancing meaningful traceability improvements.The conversation shifted to AI applications in retail, where Amanda cut through the hype with practical examples. From data cleansing to personalization, AI is transforming how retailers understand customers and optimize operations. Looking ahead to 2026, she predicted three major trends: the expansion of retail media networks, wider adoption of electronic shelf labels, and continued evolution of self-checkout technology with advanced anti-theft measures.Whether you're a grocery executive navigating technology decisions, a supplier trying to understand retailer priorities, or simply interested in how your shopping experience is being reimagined behind the scenes, this episode delivers illuminating insights into the future of food retail.

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