"My primary observation: AI wasn't just present at this year's event. It dominated everything. Every session. Every conversation. Every exhibitor pitch. Everything was presented through an AI lens. You couldn't avoid it, even if you tried. And I did. NRF 2026 wasn't billed as a "retail & AI" conference, but that's exactly what it was. AI optimizing your supply chain. AI promising store operations efficiency. AI running wild on product catalogs to enable agentic shopping."
"What struck me was the opportunity cost. In a landscape where every company fetishizes AI - in their products, in their operations, in their marketing - there's a massive opening for companies brave enough to lean the other direction. Into humanity. Into the natural world. Into what makes us distinctly human."
NRF 2026 drew nearly 40,000 retail practitioners to the Javits Center. AI permeated sessions, conversations, and exhibitor pitches across the event. AI applications showcased included supply chain optimization, store operations efficiency, agentic shopping via product catalogs, and data processing to help websites and robots navigate. Many companies aggressively positioned themselves as AI-driven while the US economy benefits from heavy AI investment and retail pursues its share. Significant opportunity cost exists when firms overemphasize AI. Companies that commit to investing in people, community-focused service, and human-centered experiences can stand out amid widespread sameness.
Read at Staticmade
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