December 10, 2025
Gadi Graus – A2Z Cust2Mate
How To Reboot Supermarket Shopping Into 21st Century AI Era, Gadi Graus – CEO A2Z Cust2mate
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Supermarkets and grocery stores are a staple of our daily lives. They are a business that most visit weekly and are so used to that they can navigate the aisles blindfolded. This familiarity is due in part to the fact that grocery stores can go decades without modifying their layout. It is the exact type of industry that needs a reboot to bring it into 21st century consumer demands. Imagine an intelligent cart that not only guides you to your favorite aisles and most-purchased items but also surfaces personalized offers so you never miss out on your favorite pleasures.
Imagine a shopping experience that anticipates your needs, transforms routine errands into discovery, and makes the store feel like it was designed just for you. On this episode of The Reboot Chronicles Show, we’re joined by Gadi Graus, the CEO of A2Z Cust2mate, who has made all of that a reality—and is shaking up grocery retail with cutting-edge technology. With more than 30 years of experience and a knack for scaling innovation across borders, Gadi brings a unique perspective to the table. He’ll walk us through how AI is transforming stores and reimagining shopper experiences—while also sharing leadership lessons from his remarkable journey, moving from the risk-averse world of law to embracing risk as opportunity in tech.
Inside A2Z Cust2mate
A2Z Cust2mate has undergone its own reboots. It was originally established in Israel as Cust2mate, and, as Gadi puts it, “we entered into A2Z, essentially on a reverse merger” to form A2Z Cust2mate. Their mission revolves around smart carts, and they are “the only dedicated smart cart platform that is publicly traded (NASDAQ: AZ).” These smart carts are fitted with an AI panel that will be attached to your unique loyalty plan for whichever store you are in. Then, as you are shopping, the panel can help you navigate the store, find replacements if you need one, and you can scan your items and immediately know what sales are going on for that product. Leading “budget-conscious shoppers to more budget-conscious promotions and premium shoppers to more premium ones.” The idea is to give the customers more data, options, and to streamline the process to save time when they are at the store, all the while giving the grocery store more data to potentially better serve the customers.
How AI Is Transforming Leadership And The Shopper Journey
Being a tech reboot of grocery stores, it should come as no surprise that Gadi and A2Z Cust2mate use AI as an integral asset on their journey. AI is responsible for the intelligent, customized experiences highlighted above. From recognizing products to tailoring promotions to the individual shopper, A2Z is unlocking a new category of retail media—one that has quickly become the latest buzz in the grocery industry. Much like social platforms, it leverages algorithms to analyze past interactions and deliver tailored recommendations. The difference is that instead of serving up the next post or video, it’s shaping a more personalized shopping journey designed around your preferences and habits.
Gadi has also infused AI into his leadership engagement. Suggesting AI has replaced the need to focus on gathering, organizing, and disseminating information without activating the call to action. Now, “It’s more a matter of them interpreting the information for you in ways that you couldn’t have done yourself and that AI can’t do.” Gadi continues to say, “I think that just allows you to dive straight in and get to the second hour of the conversation in the first minute.”
From Corporate Law To Tech Innovator
Lawyers are, by nature, risk-averse trained to anticipate pitfalls, minimize uncertainty, and shield their clients from danger. Which is why Gadi’s leap into a high-risk role is so unexpected, and so compelling. Instead of retreating from volatility, he leans into it, describing risk as “refreshing” and even proclaiming, “I love risk.” It is a striking reversal of the conventional legal mindset—and not something you hear every day.
Gadi frames risk not as something to avoid, but as an inevitability to embrace. “Without risk, it’s difficult to do anything,” he explains, underscoring his belief that progress requires uncertainty. While his three decades in law might seem at odds with this mindset, his transition into technology highlights how well-suited he is to an industry defined by experimentation and consumer unpredictability. As a leader, he extends this philosophy to his teams, encouraging them to take risks and lean into the chaos that accompanies innovation in any field.
