Migros Retail CEO on Pioneering Online Grocery & The Cultural Differences in Grocery Shopping

Mustafa Bartin, CEO of Migros Turkey, shares his journey from launching online grocery in 1997 as a 23-year-old engineer to leading an $8.5 billion grocer preparing to launch digital-only banking. In this exclusive interview recorded live from the VusionGroup Studio at Groceryshop 2025, Mustafa shares: ✅ Launching online grocery in 1997—possibly Europe's first brick-and-mortar to do so ✅ Why scan-and-go failed culturally but self-service checkout thrives (even for 60-70 year olds) ✅ Turkish shopping behavior: smaller baskets, much higher frequency than US ✅ Managing 3,700 stores with 20%+ online business across multiple banners ✅ The "reverse takeover" where digital leadership took over retail management ✅ Launching digital-only banking vertical within 6 months ✅ ESL and self-service checkout rollout for cost optimization ✅ Competing against 40,000+ discount stores and pure-play online competitors ✅ Why Turkish consumers need "two free hands" for shopping Mustafa's unconventional path led to a rare "reverse takeover" where the online team took management control. With experience spanning nearly three decades in digital grocery, he offers unique insights into cultural differences in retail technology adoption and what works (and doesn't work) across markets. Discover why Turkey's grocery market—dominated by discount stores—creates unique competitive dynamics, and how Migros maintains 20%+ online penetration while preparing to become a financial services provider. Subscribe for more global grocery and retail innovation insights! #MigrosTurkey #OnlineGrocery #FinTech #SelfCheckout #OmniChannel #InternationalRetail #GroceryShop This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy