Inside the conversations shaping retail’s future

Of all the experiential adjectives an event like NRF Nexus 2026 might engender, one easily came to mind for a seasoned retail leader present. It had nothing to do with the sumptuous, historic surroundings of the Broadmoor hotel; the strategic lineup of industry speakers and topics; or even the measure of the digital, marketing and technology senior executives on hand.

It was simply “validating.” The headlines and hype about AI, agentic commerce and other transformative advances in retail are enough to make anyone feel that they can’t keep up, he said. But here, in the midst of his peers, he felt able to speak freely about what was really working, and what wasn’t. 

That sense of validation became a throughline of the event’s opening day; these retail leaders gathered more to compare notes than to chase trends, and to collaborate on moving their organizations forward. 

Jill Dvorak, NRF senior vice president of content, touched on that sentiment in welcoming the 200 or so attendees. “Please, please do not think you're behind,” she told the crowd. “You are in the right place to benchmark and to talk to each other.” 

Candid conversations on shared challenges 

The event, held in Colorado Springs, Colo., for the first time after a successful multi-year run at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., commenced with a sunny outdoor reception of drinks, appetizers and warm welcomes among often longtime friends. It then moved inside for an opening keynote on integrating technology and marketing to transform the Denver Broncos’ fan engagement and stadium innovation, followed by more food, more drinks — and more conversations. 

In keeping with the intimate, off-the-record nature of the event, names and direct quotes have been withheld. Even so, early conversations reveal consistent themes. 

In addition to AI maturity, attendees mentioned grappling with customer acquisition, workforce challenges and creating space for employees to experiment with disruptive technologies. There was also discussion about the human aspects of AI rather than just focusing on brute efficiency. 

Aside from the general offerings, members of NRF’s senior executive CIO, marketing and digital councils gathered for a pre-conference lunch and meeting. 

One conversation, sponsored by Strata Intel, featured 2024 Olympic bronze medalist in rugby Stephanie Rovetti. The 2024 women’s rugby sevens team, comprised of competitors from diverse athletic backgrounds, came together to win the first-ever Olympic medal in rugby sevens for the United States, regardless of gender. The talk — part presentation and part open discussion — centered on building agility and handling tomorrow’s capabilities with today’s workforce. One person at the session spoke of being surprised at the level of vulnerability, openness and curiosity expressed by those in the audience. 

Value in learning together 

Several retailers brought multiple attendees to the event; one included leaders from ecommerce, brand marketing and performance marketing. They were excited to share the same experience, and to approach challenges they all face from different angles. This year’s event also includes a curated, invitation-only track for retail CEOs. 

Sponsors — including title sponsor American Express; titanium-level sponsors .monks and PwC; platinum-level sponsors Forter, Salesforce and Softek; and a host of others — mingled freely with retail leaders. One sponsor said conversations feel different when they take place outside an exhibit hall. Another expressed gratitude for the opportunity to keep learning firsthand about retailers’ needs and experiences. Cost challenges are real, he said, as is the demand to modernize technology. 

As for the coming days of the event, attendees said they were specifically looking forward to think tanks on consumer trends and insights, benchmarking agentic commerce, translating AI investment into enterprise value, and AI and organizational change management. 

There’s still much to explore — and, in keeping with the spirit of NRF Nexus, there will be ample margin for doing so. This, one attendee said, is the kind of peer group most leaders only dream of.