NRF 2026 Recap: The Next Now of Retail, Data & Agentic Commerce

January 16, 2026

NRF 2026 made one thing abundantly clear: the future of retail and e-commerce is no longer theoretical, it’s operational. Under this year's theme, "The Next Now," industry leaders gathered in New York to explore the intersection of AI, data, and consumer expectations on a large scale.

Over the course of 3 days, one consistent message emerged: data-driven companies win. Those who organize, connect, and activate their data will move fastest and most confidently into this new era of commerce.

Below is our recap of NRF 2026, including highlights video recaps and signals that every retail and e-commerce leader should pay attention to now.

AI & Commerce gets agentic

At NRF 2026, generative AI and, increasingly, agentic AI emerged as two of the most defining forces.

AI is no longer merely enhancing workflows or supporting teams. It is starting to act on behalf of consumers and retailers alike, thereby fundamentally changing how commerce operates.

As consumers, we will interact directly with brands. Rather, increasingly, our AI agents will interact with retailers’ AI agents, negotiating, recommending, and transacting on our behalf. This shift will impact:

Front office experiences and personalization
Middle office decision-making and orchestration
Back-office operations, forecasting, and fulfillment.

Several speakers pointed to machine-to-machine communication and agent interoperability as the real transformation happening beneath the surface. Although consumers are already seeing conversational AI influence discovery and purchasing, the infrastructure being developed behind the scenes will determine who can act quickly, personalize on a large scale, and adapt in real time.

Initiatives like Shopify x Google and the launch of the Universal Commerce Protocol demonstrate how platforms are preparing for this future, in which agents play a central role. Meanwhile, categories such as online grocery continue to experience significant growth, driven by convenience and automation.

Video: Datmos x NRF - Commerce gets agentic

Data is the Growth Engine

One theme kept resurfacing throughout NRF 2026: “Get your data in order, because your growth depends on it.”

Whether brands are looking to:

Scale AI-powered personalization
Compete in the evolving search landscape
Or enable agent-driven commerce

The prerequisite is the same: customer and product data that is structured, connected, and ready to activate.

This is especially critical as traditional SEO evolves into Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). In a world where AI systems summarize, recommend, and decide, brands must ensure their data is not only accurate, but also clear, contextual, and understandable by machines.

The companies pulling ahead are not necessarily those with the flashiest AI tools but those with the strongest data foundations.

Video: Datmos x NRF - The Next Now is already here

The Future of Discovery is conversational

Another major shift that was highlighted at NRF 2026 is the dramatic change in product discovery.

Discovery no longer begins on an e-commerce site. It happens across:

Social platforms like TikTok
Professional networks, such as LinkedIn, for B2B
Browsers, operating systems, and AI assistants.
Large language models and emerging shopping engines.

Brands now need to be visible before the click, in every environment where consumers (and their agents) seek answers.

More importantly, discovery has become conversational. Consumers are moving away from basic keyword searches and toward natural language, intent-driven interactions. Just as they would in a store, shoppers explain the context, their preferences, and their use cases, and the AI responds as a trusted advisor.

This evolution requires a new way of thinking about content and data.

From keywords to conversations.
From traffic to trust.
From search results to relevance.

Video: Datmos x NRF - The Future of Discovery

Single view of the product is now a growth lever

Although customer data remains essential, the 2026 NRF spotlighted a growing shift toward a comprehensive product view.

The quality of product data including attributes, usage, occasions, and contextual relevance has never been more important. As AI-driven discovery becomes the norm, brands must anticipate the search terms consumers will use, not just the products they sell.

A shopper isn’t just searching for a lamp, they’re searching for the right lamp for a specific room, atmosphere, and design aesthetic.

Read our client's business case: Artika

Meeting this expectation requires a robust product experience management (PXM) strategy that goes beyond product specifications to support real-world intent, scenarios, and inspiration.

Connected product data becomes a strategic advantage here, enabling AI to recommend, explain, and personalize at scale.

The Next Now is Consumer-Driven

At the heart of everything discussed at NRF 2026 is the consumer.

Consumers are already using tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to explore, compare, and decide what to buy. Their behavior is evolving faster than many organizations’ internal systems and that gap will define winners and laggards in the coming years.

The brands that succeed will be those that:

Understand how purchasing behavior is changing
Invest in AI-ready infrastructure
Activate data across the entire commerce ecosystem

In this next era, AI enables speed, but data enables confidence.

NRF also highlighted a common challenge: vendor overload. With countless platforms and solutions promising AI-driven transformation, many organizations leave unsure which technologies will truly scale with their ambitions.

As an agnostic ecommerce agency, we help brands cut through the noise, identifying the right technology stack, aligning it with business goals, and ensuring it’s built for the realities of modern retail.

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About NRF Retail’s Big Show

NRF 2026 took place at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, Jan. 11-13, 2026, bringing together retail leaders from across the industry. With 1,000+ exhibitors and 100+ sessions, the event showcased the technologies, partnerships, and ideas shaping The Next Now of retail and ecommerce.

Simon Robillard

VP Growth

With over 10 years of passion and expertise in technology and e-commerce, Simon serves as VP growth at Datmos. He has worked with a wide range of clients across multiple B2B and B2C sectors, including BRP, Zadig & Voltaire, Groupe G2MC (Maison Corbeil, Must, Jardins de Ville), Toromont, Thrasio, and many others.