Episode Details

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna, Chris Walton sits down with Nicolas de Bellefonds, Managing Director of BCG X for EMEA and South America, to separate AI hype from business reality.

Drawing on more than 15 years of experience building AI capabilities and insights from BCG's latest research, Nicolas explains where consumer goods companies and retailers are actually creating value with AI, why so many organizations remain stuck in pilot mode, and what it takes to move from experimentation to enterprise-wide impact.

Key Topics Covered:

• Key findings from BCG's latest AI in consumer industry research

• Why 75% of CPG companies remain stuck in pilot mode

• How retailers are outpacing CPGs in AI adoption

• Where AI is creating the most value in retail and consumer goods

• The future of AI-powered merchandising, marketing, and innovation

• Agentic commerce and what it means for brands and retailers

• Why retailers should build their own AI capabilities now

• The biggest mistakes companies make when scaling AI

• Moving from incremental improvements to transformational change

• How to structure AI teams for long-term success

• The "lighthouse" approach to AI transformation

• Preparing organizations to manage AI agents and automated workflows

• Realistic expectations for AI ROI and business impact

Special thanks to the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit and the CGF Leadership Studio sponsored by Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail's coverage in Vienna.