Ahead of his appearance at the RCC STORE Conference in June, Michael LeBlanc speaks with Rohit Sriram, Senior Vice-President, eCommerce at Loblaw Companies Limited, about how AI is transforming retail. This episode offers a preview of the ideas he’ll bring to the stage—from agentic commerce to real-time personalization—along with practical insights on scaling innovation and rethinking customer experience in an AI-driven world.
In this episode of The Voice of Retail, host Michael LeBlanc sits down with Rohit Sriram, Senior Vice-President eCommerce at Loblaw Companies Limited, for an exclusive preview of the ideas, strategies, and thought leadership he’ll be bringing to the stage at the Retail Council of Canada’s highly anticipated STORE Conference this June in Toronto.
For retail leaders planning to attend STORE—or those tracking the future of AI in commerce—this conversation offers an early look at how one of Canada’s most sophisticated retailers is operationalizing artificial intelligence at scale.
Sriram leads one of the most expansive digital ecosystems in the country, spanning eCommerce across Loblaw’s grocery banners, Shoppers Drug Mart, Joe Fresh, and the PC Optimum loyalty program. At the core of his approach is a disciplined focus on solving real customer problems—not chasing technology trends.
In this discussion, he breaks down how Loblaw cuts through the noise around AI by anchoring every investment in two critical questions: what problem are we solving, and is this solution materially better than what exists today? This pragmatic lens has enabled the company to move beyond traditional personalization toward real-time, context-aware customer experiences powered by advanced data and AI capabilities.
Listeners will gain early insight into the themes shaping Sriram’s upcoming STORE panel, including the rise of “agentic commerce,” the growing influence of AI-powered discovery platforms, and the evolution of conversational interfaces across both third-party ecosystems and owned retail channels.
A key takeaway is the shift from static segmentation to dynamic personalization—where customers are no longer defined by a single identity, but understood across multiple, evolving contexts. This capability is unlocking more relevant engagement, stronger loyalty, and improved conversion across Loblaw’s platforms.
Sriram also shares how Loblaw’s culture of experimentation—grounded in OKRs, rapid testing, and scalable architecture—allows the organization to validate and deploy innovation quickly while maintaining operational discipline.
For those attending STORE, this episode serves as a strategic primer. For those unable to attend, it delivers a front-row perspective on the ideas that will shape the conversation on stage.
Whether you’re a retailer, brand leader, or technologist, this is your opportunity to hear directly from one of the industry’s leading voices—before he takes the spotlight.