The global leader in snacks analyzed more than 180,000 global data signals to identify today’s shopper demands — and is ready to work with retailers and all partners to shape what comes next.

A two-pronged retail world: As agentic shopping assistants increasingly automate routine purchases, physical stores and digital shopping platforms will take on new shapes as playful discovery destinations shoppers choose to visit.Three core shopper demands: This retail evolution is driven by human needs and enabled by new technology: Effortless AI-driven purchasing, Personal curation and Experiential touchpoints that prioritize joy and community.Shaping the future together: Powered by this data, Mars predicts brands and retailers will need to work together to design holistic new shopping solutions to drive growth within the snacking category as legacy browsing and impulse shopping behaviors give way to predictive fulfillment that happens in the background. 

CHICAGO, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As the world continues to undergo a massive technological shift redefining how we live and shop, today, Mars, on behalf of its snacking business, revealed new insights on the future of shopping and retail. The findings come from the company’s landmark study, which details how in the next decade, routine grocery runs will become increasingly automated, paving the way for a brick-and-mortar renaissance and continued transformation of digital shopping platforms driven by discovery, play and community.

Together with consumer research experts Kantar and Synthesis, Mars analyzed more than 180,000 global data signals1 across four continents — including stakeholder and expert interviews, channel and shopper publications, podcasts and global news — to pinpoint changing consumer demands that will redefine how people shop in the future.

The ever-evolving shopper journey will be defined by a transformational duality in this next era:

Shopping will become a frictionless background service managed by agentic technology, freeing consumers to focus on what matters to them.Physical stores and digital platforms will feel less like supermarkets, convenience stores or typical online shopping, and more like immersive playgrounds designed for discovery and entertainment.

“We’re standing on the brink of a retail revolution — one where people may never have to manually shop for household staples again. For a category like snacking, this is both an opportunity and a strategic challenge,” said Neil Reynolds, Global Chief Customer Officer, Mars Snacking. “We’ve invested in significant research to understand how the shopper journey will evolve, and this research gives us a clear roadmap. But here’s what’s equally clear: No single company can solve this alone. The only path forward is to work hand-in-hand with retail customers and all partners who are ready to lead this transformation to drive consumer satisfaction and long-term growth across the entire ecosystem.”

As retailers and brands navigate this new landscape, they face a dual challenge: integrating into the predictive fulfillment systems that will power consumers’ digital lives, while simultaneously transforming retail into connected, sensory-rich destinations that reward people for leaving their homes. Understanding this new ecosystem is no longer just a competitive advantage — it is essential for future growth.

Behind these key insights are three critical future shopper demands that are shaping how Mars is thinking about the future: Effortless, Personal and Experiential.

Effortless: AI-powered background restocking

The shift: Wandering grocery store aisles may soon become a thing of the past. Soon, agentic systems will make fast, informed recommendations based on preferences and inventory, requiring only shopper confirmation.The data: According to BrightEdge, AI referrals to e-commerce brands jumped 752% year over year during the 2025 holiday season — and this is projected to grow to $788B by 2035.1What’s next: As consumers offload everyday chores to digital assistants, retailers must both earn a spot on automated lists and find new ways to spark spontaneity and curiosity in discovering new offerings.

Personal: Hyper-curated retail experiences

The shift: The shopper journey of tomorrow will feature personalized, highly relevant shortlists designed specifically for an individual — and, increasingly, their health and wellness goals.The data: Today, 39% of consumers expect personalized online experiences according to TransUnion — a trend increasingly health-led, with mobile health and wellness apps projected to grow 15% annually through 2030.1What’s next: The next frontier of retail relies on e-commerce agents that personalize across the entire snacking spectrum — recommending protein-rich options before a workout, assembling treats for a party and honoring moments of indulgence — all while protecting consumer privacy.

Experiential: Immersive retail destinations

The shift: As routine shopping becomes effortless, consumers reclaim more time for what they truly enjoy. Retail becomes an immersive experience driven by culture and trends, both in store and online.The data: Immersive brand spaces are seeing 15.3% year-over-year growth,1 while 22% of U.S. digital buyers already shop via livestream, according to eMarketer.What’s next: Storefronts showcase viral consumer trends, while shoppable moments embed themselves directly into social, gaming and streaming environments.

For 115 years, Mars has built enduring brands by staying close to where consumers are heading. Today, the profound changes underway in retail are part of a larger generational shift reshaping the entire category — one that demands a generational response. By investing to reimagine snacking, innovate across touchpoints and partner with the industry for mutual growth, Mars is actively shaping the future of snacking: serving more of the moments that matter for generations to come.

To learn more about what the future of shopping and retail has in store, please visit https://www.mars.com/news-and-stories/articles/forget-the-grocery-list-mars-predicts-next-decade-shopping-retail

ABOUT MARS, INCORPORATED
Mars, Incorporated is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. Based on combined Mars and Kellanova 2025 net sales, we are now a $65bn+ family-owned business, with a diverse portfolio of quality snacking and food products that delight millions of people every day, and leading pet care products and veterinary services that support pets all around the world. We produce some of the world’s best-loved brands including ROYAL CANIN®, PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, CESAR®, M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, EXTRA®, Pringles®, Cheez-It®, and BEN’S ORIGINAL™. Our international networks of pet hospitals, including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™ and ANICURA™ span preventive, general, specialty, and emergency veterinary care, and our global veterinary diagnostics business ANTECH® offers breakthrough capabilities in pet diagnostics. The Mars Five Principles — Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom — inspire our approximately 170,000 Associates to act every day to help create a better world for people, pets and the planet.

For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Media Contacts:
Christi.obrien@effem.com 

Sources

1. Mars Future Snacking Shopper Journey analysis, developed with Kantar and Synthesis. Based on 11 stakeholder and shopper/channel expert perspectives; more than 30 prior research reports; 91,500 channel publications; 79,300 shopper publications; 4,999 curated consumer and channel podcasts representing 21,755 minutes of content; and over 150 drivers of change. Global English-language news and podcast content was collected from January 2024 through December 2025, with no location filters; top contributing markets included the U.S., U.K., UAE, India, China, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Philippines and Malaysia.

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SOURCE Mars, Incorporated

Retired Department of the Navy senior executive brings extensive naval acquisition, financial management, workforce, and operational leadership experience

CHANTILLY, Va., Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — VTG, an industry-leading provider of modernization and digital transformation solutions for national security customers, announced today that Jaimie Reese has joined the company as Senior Vice President of its Defense Engineering Systems Business Unit. In this role, Reese will lead one of VTG’s largest business units, which provides engineering services supporting the U.S. Navy’s ship and aviation systems.

“Jaimie is an accomplished leader whose experience across the Department of the Navy will strengthen our ability to serve our customers and support our people,” said John Hassoun, President and CEO of VTG. “Her extensive knowledge of naval acquisition, financial management, human capital, and operations will be a tremendous asset to our leadership team. We are pleased to welcome her to VTG.”

Reese joins VTG following a distinguished federal career in the Department of the Navy’s acquisition and financial management community. She began her career as a financial management trainee and subsequently held leadership roles in the Investment Division of the Department of Navy’s Office of Budget, leading multiyear procurement strategies and congressional engagement on complex aviation and shipbuilding programs. She also served as business and financial manager for the Navy’s LPD-17 amphibious ship program.

In 2016, Reese was appointed to the Senior Executive Service and became Deputy Commander for Resource Management at Marine Corps Systems Command. In that role, her leadership of both the Comptroller and human-capital functions resulted in new and innovative approaches to delivering critical warfighter capabilities.

Reese later served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Acquisition Policy and Budget, advising Navy acquisition leadership on the planning, programming, budgeting, and execution of acquisition resources. In November 2022, she became Deputy Commander for Corporate Operations and Total Force at Naval Sea Systems Command, where she led human-capital and corporate-operations initiatives supporting a workforce of more than 35,000 people. She retired from federal service in 2025.

“I am excited to join VTG and continue supporting the Navy’s most important missions,” said Reese. “VTG’s combination of technical expertise, deep customer knowledge, and agility creates tremendous opportunities to deliver results for our customers while developing the next generation of mission-focused leaders.”

Reese is a graduate of Virginia Wesleyan University and holds a master’s degree in public administration from George Washington University.

About VTG

VTG delivers modernization and digital transformation solutions that expand America’s competitive advantage in the modern battlespace. Headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia, VTG provides full lifecycle engineering for naval, aerospace, network, and digital requirements. Whether at sea, in the air, on land, or in cyberspace, VTG delivers Tomorrow’s Transformation Today. For more information, visit us at www.VTGdefense.com.

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SOURCE VTG

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sam Barone to join the Emerging Innovations in Retinal Therapies panel; Company to present an update on MOGENRY® in the Retina Drug Delivery & New Targets Showcase at Eyecelerator 2026Four-year REMAIN data from the RESTORE Phase 2b/3 trial of MCO-010 in retinitis pigmentosa and a scientific poster on dry AMD to be presented at the AAO 2026 Annual Meeting, October 8–13, 2026, in New Orleans, Louisiana

DALLAS, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Nanoscope Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company committed to developing and commercializing novel, disease-agnostic therapies for patients with photoreceptor loss and vision impairment due to retinal degeneration, today announced that its optogenetics gene therapy (MOGENRY, MCO-010) will be featured in various scientific programming at the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) 2026 annual meeting taking place October 8–13, 2026, in New Orleans. Additionally, the company will participate in Eyecelerator@AAO 2026 with a company presentation and panel participation. Eyecelerator brings together ophthalmic innovators, industry leaders, clinicians, and investors to accelerate the development of new therapies and technologies in eye care. The AAO Annual Meeting is the world’s largest gathering of ophthalmologists and eye care professionals.

Presentation Details:

Eyecelerator 2026, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

Panel: Emerging Innovations in Retinal Therapies

Panelist: Sam Barone, MD, Chief Medical Officer

Date & Time: Thursday, October 8, 2026, 10:45–11:30 AM CT

Location: La Nouvelle Ballroom C

Company Presentation: Retina Drug Delivery & New Targets Showcase

Presenter: Paul Hallen, Chief Operating Officer

Date & Time: Thursday, October 8, 2026, 1:00–1:05 PM CT

Location: Rooms 252–254

AAO 2026 Annual Meeting, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

Presentation: Lasting Vision Improvement in Retinitis Pigmentosa: REMAIN 4-Year Study Data From the RESTORE Phase 2b/3 Trial of MCO-010 Optogenetic Therapy

Session: PA044

Presenter: Kenneth C. Fan, MD

Date & Time: Sunday, October 11, 2026, 11:42–11:49 AM CT

Location: Rooms 255–257

Scientific Poster: Vision Improvement in Dry AMD With Sonpiretigene Isteparvovec Optogenetic Therapy: First Direct-to-Phase 2 RCT

Session: PO624

Presenter: David S. Boyer, MD

Availability: On demand

During the panel, Dr. Barone will join fellow industry leaders to discuss emerging approaches in retinal therapeutics, including the potential of mutation-agnostic optogenetic gene therapy for patients with advanced retinal degeneration. In the Showcase presentation, Mr. Hallen will provide an update on Nanoscope’s progress toward potential global approval of its lead asset, MOGENRY® (sonpiretigene isteparvovec; MCO-010), for the treatment of inherited retinal dystrophies, including the status of the Company’s Biologics License Application (BLA), and Japan New Drug Application (JNDA), currently under FDA and PMDA review respectively. At AAO 2026, Dr. Fan will present four-year data from the REMAIN study of patients treated in the RESTORE Phase 2b/3 trial, highlighting the durability of vision improvement with MCO-010 in retinitis pigmentosa. Dr. David S. Boyer will also present a scientific poster, available on demand, on vision improvement with sonpiretigene isteparvovec in dry AMD from the first direct-to-Phase 2 randomized controlled trial. Members of the Nanoscope leadership team will be available to meet with retina specialists, investors, and potential partners throughout Eyecelerator and AAO 2026.

Nanoscope team members will be available at Booth 2564 for the duration of the AAO conference.

About MOGENRY (sonpiretigene isteparvovec; MCO-010)

Nanoscope’s multi-characteristic opsin (MCO) technology utilizes a proprietary genetically engineered synthetic opsin to enable optimized performance in terms of high light sensitivity across a broad spectrum and fast kinetics. After Nanoscope’s Co-Founder, President, and Chief Scientific Officer, Samarendra Mohanty, envisioned and invented the technology, his team has spent over a decade evaluating its performance across multiple animal models and human diseases. MOGENRY is an investigational, one-time, in-office, intravitreal optogenetic gene therapy built on Nanoscope’s MCO platform. By delivering a multi-characteristic opsin gene to the highly dense bipolar retinal cells, MOGENRY makes these surviving cells directly light-sensitive, enabling them to utilize the remaining visual circuitry following photoreceptor loss. MOGENRY does not require genetic testing, invasive surgery, or repeat dosing, and is designed for administration within existing retina office workflows. MOGENRY is under review by the FDA for the treatment of RP with severe vision loss and under priority review by the PMDA and MHLW for the treatment of IRDs in Japan. The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was recently awarded to the three scientists who pioneered optogenetics, the scientific foundation that Nanoscope’s development programs, including MOGENRY, are built upon.

About Nanoscope Therapeutics

Nanoscope Therapeutics is developing disease-agnostic, vision-restoring optogenetic therapy for millions of patients blinded by retinal degenerative diseases. Following positive results from the RESTORE Phase 2b/3 multicenter, randomized, double-masked, sham-controlled clinical trial for RP (NCT04945772), the FDA has accepted and filed the Company’s BLA for MOGENRY, and the PMDA has accepted for priority review the Company’s NDA for MOGENRY for the treatment of IRDs in Japan. If approved, MOGENRY has the potential to become the standard of care for patients with RP and other IRDs, administered as a one-time, in-office injection without the need for genetic testing. The Company has also shown promising results in the STARLIGHT Phase 2 clinical trial of MCO-010 in Stargardt disease (SD) (NCT05417126) and plans to initiate a Phase 3 registrational trial in 2026. MCO-010 has received FDA Fast Track and Orphan Drug designations for both RP and SD, along with RMAT designation for SD, and EMA Orphan designations covering non-syndromic and syndromic rod- and cone-dominant dystrophies, as well as macular dystrophies. MCO-010 has also received Sakigake and Orphan designations for inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs) in Japan and an Orphan designation for IRDs in Saudi Arabia. A Phase 2 program for MCO in geographic atrophy is expected to start in 2026, and other IND-ready programs include Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA).

Learn more at NanosTherapeutics.com and follow @NSTherapeutics on X and on LinkedIn.

Contact:

Nanoscope Therapeutics, Inc

(817) 857-1186

PR@nanostherapeutics.com

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SOURCE Nanoscope Therapeutics