AI Stage at Retail's Big Show

How is AI defining The Next Now?

The influence and impact of artificial intelligence in the global retail industry cannot be denied. Every retail leader looking to compete and thrive in The Next Now must understand the implications and ongoing advances in AI technologies. To help leaders keep pace, NRF is launching a dedicated AI Stage in 2026, a space built for exploration, collaboration and actionable insight. Learn from the experts how to effectively employ AI as a key element of your go-forward business strategies.

Why should I attend?

On this stage, you’ll hear firsthand from pioneers in AI and agentic AI who are testing, deploying and scaling technologies that are transforming every corner of retail from customer experience to operations to entirely new business models.

But this isn’t just about listening. It’s about joining the conversation.

After select sessions, you’ll move into deep-dive roundtables, where you choose your focus area and sit shoulder-to-shoulder with peers facing the same challenges. Ask questions. Share your own experiments. Pressure-test ideas. Or simply listen and absorb perspectives you won’t find anywhere else.

The AI Stage will concentrate on unique topics such as:

What’s next in agentic AI
The next generation of AI innovation
Rethinking how to serve and engage your customers
Inspiration to take your AI initiatives to the next level
Fundamentally reimagining retail operations with AI

The future of retail AI is written — by you.

At the AI stage, you’ll walk away with not only inspiration, but also a network of peers and practical insights you can apply to your business immediately and lean on for years to come. If you are a retailer seeking actionable insights for integrating AI, agentic AI and emerging technologies into your business strategies, this program is for you.

How to attend

These sessions are open to any retailer who purchases an individual All-Access Pass, Retail Team Pass or International Team Pass. Seating for these sessions is limited, so make sure you get there early to experience a variety of AI session topics and deep dives.