In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna, Chris Walton is joined by Ruth Lewis, Senior Manager at Bain & Company, to discuss the findings from Bain's new State of Food Habits report and what retailers, brands, and food manufacturers need to understand about the future of consumer eating behaviors.

Ruth shares insights from Bain's latest research into how consumers across the U.S., U.K., France, and Germany are preparing meals, where they are spending their food budgets, and what barriers are preventing healthier eating. She also explores the growing role of food delivery, the long-term implications of GLP-1 adoption, and how AI-powered shopping tools are beginning to influence everything from meal planning and nutrition decisions to price comparisons and grocery purchasing behavior.

Key Topics Covered:

• Key findings from Bain's State of Food Habits report

• Why 70-80% of meals are still consumed at home

• The surprising reality of scratch cooking versus ready-made meals

• How consumers define and approach at-home meal preparation

• The rise of food delivery as a regular at-home meal option

• Why consumers increasingly view food delivery as an affordable treat

• Generational differences in dining and food consumption habits

• The impact of inflation and rising restaurant prices on consumer behavior

• How Gen Z views food delivery versus dining out

• The current state of GLP-1 adoption in the U.S. and U.K.

• Why many consumers discontinue GLP-1 medications

• The long-term implications of GLP-1s for food manufacturers and retailers

• How oral GLP-1 medications could expand adoption in the future

• The growing role of AI and digital tools in grocery decision-making

• How consumers are using technology for nutrition guidance and meal planning

• AI-powered price comparison and promotional shopping trends

• Why product data quality matters in AI-driven product discovery

• How large language models may reshape grocery shopping and brand visibility

• The future of AI-assisted basket building and cross-retailer price optimization

Special thanks to the CGF Leadership Studio sponsored by Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail's coverage in Vienna.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

What Retailers Need to Know from Bain & Company's State of Food Habits Report | CGF 2026

Omni Talk Retail

What Retailers Need to Know from Bain & Company's State of Food Habits Report | CGF 2026