What It Really Takes to Scale AI in Grocery Retail | Digital Grocer S7E3

Get More from AI for Your Grocery Business

AI doesn’t stall because the tech isn’t ready.

It stalls because organizations aren’t prepared.

We see this firsthand in the grocery industry, where too many retailers have invested in AI without seeing meaningful returns.

But that hasn’t been a problem for Southeastern Grocers (SEG).

In this episode of Digital Grocer, SEG CIO Todd Renaud joins Mercatus President & COO Sylvain Perrier to reveal how his company has been able to scale AI by solving two of the biggest—and most overlooked—blockers to its success: disconnected data and unprepared teams.

Watch the full episode to learn how you can overcome these hurdles to make AI work for your grocery business—and subscribe below to get notified whenever a new episode is released.

➡️ Sign Up Today

Prefer to listen to your podcasts? Digital Grocer is also available on Spotify.

Challenge #1: Fix Data First

Clean and connected data is essential to grocery retailers.

AI is only as effective as the data it’s built on. And in grocery—where speed, accuracy, and personalization matter—flawed data creates compounded risk.

That’s why grocers have to rethink how data flows through their organization, how often it updates, and how easily systems can use it. Retailers still relying on traditional processes for centralizing data risk being left behind.

To prepare for AI at scale, SEG rebuilt its infrastructure from the ground up: investing in real-time processing, rebuilding its architecture around cloud-based data storage, and minimizing the lag between data capture and decisioning.

These shifts have made personalization and automation possible, but more importantly, they’ve made AI outputs trustworthy and sustainable.

The Takeaway

If your data isn’t reliable, your AI won’t be either. Don’t heap more tools on your tech stack without building a better foundation first.

Challenge #2: Build a Culture that Can Keep Up

Even with the right data, AI adoption stalls when teams don’t understand the tools or don’t trust them.

To move fast without resistance, grocery retailers need a workforce that’s equipped, empowered, and engaged. That starts with these five mindset shifts:

1. Prioritize experimentation over perfection: Launch fast, learn often. Early pilots should be treated as learning tools—not polished final products.
2. Frame AI as an enabler, not a threat: Help teams see AI as a partner that enhances their work, rather than a force that replaces them.
3. Make training practical and hands-on: Integrate AI into real tasks—like finding SOPs or streamlining workflows—to build confidence through use.
4. Keep tools accessible and intuitive: Choose solutions that are easy to use and support everyday decision-making, not just IT-driven initiatives.
5. Decentralize innovation with guardrails: Provide governance and data safety, but let departments explore, test, and drive adoption from the ground up.

The Takeaway

A culture that embraces AI is just as important as the tech itself. If your teams trust the tools and feel ownership, adoption (and success at scale) will follow naturally.

What You Can Learn from SEG’s AI Journey

Southeastern Grocers didn’t scale AI by forcing adoption from the top down.

They focused on connected data and a culture where teams felt confident using new tools.

That’s what allowed real value to emerge: faster execution, smarter decision-making, and stronger engagement across the organization.

For grocery retailers looking to move beyond pilots and turn AI potential into AI performance, the path is clear:

1. Invest in connected data
2. Equip your teams to succeed
3. Create space for innovation to take root

That’s how AI becomes a practical driver of greater operational efficiency, more effective personalization, and profitable revenue growth.

Subscribe below for more practical insights that will help you get there.

➡️ Don’t Miss An Episode