Unlocking the next decade of retail at NRF Nexus 2026

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how companies operate. Customer journeys are becoming increasingly influenced by algorithms. Technology decisions that once unfolded over years are now being revisited in months. 

For senior retail executives, the challenge is no longer identifying innovation — it’s aligning organizations to move with it. 

At NRF Nexus 2026, July 22 – 24 at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo., senior retail executives responsible for digital growth, marketing strategy, technology infrastructure and enterprise innovation will convene to discuss the shift toward AI-driven commerce and gain practical insights into the strategies shaping the next decade-plus of retail. 

Building the AI-ready retail enterprise 

Across the industry, companies are deploying intelligent systems to support everything from fraud detection and inventory optimization to store operations and customer service. AI assistants are beginning to support store associates. Data platforms are becoming the foundation for faster, more informed decision-making. 

But scaling AI across an enterprise requires more than adopting new tools. 

Retailers are confronting practical challenges such as modernizing infrastructure built for a different pace of change, activating enterprise data across teams and ensuring governance and security as intelligent systems expand. 

These questions are shifting the conversation away from isolated pilots toward enterprise readiness.  

Executives increasingly recognize that the next generation of retail technology must support agility, interoperability and continuous innovation without disrupting the systems that keep operations running today. 

Discovery, trust and growth in AI-mediated commerce 

Technology transformation is also reshaping how customers discover products. Search engines, recommendation systems and conversational interfaces increasingly guide how consumers evaluate brands and make purchasing decisions. In many cases, the customer journey is influenced by algorithms long before a shopper reaches a retailer’s website or store. 

For technology, digital and marketing leaders, visibility now depends on understanding how these systems operate. 

Retailers are focusing on several priorities: Turning customer signals into actionable data that informs merchandising and marketing decisions; building content and commerce strategies designed for AI-driven discovery environments; and maintaining customer trust as personalization becomes more sophisticated. 

Growth in this environment requires close coordination between marketing, data and technology teams. The boundaries between these functions are becoming less distinct as retailers work to deliver seamless omnichannel experiences. 

Leadership for the AI transformation 

Technology alone does not determine whether transformation succeeds.  

Many retailers have already invested in data platforms, automation and digital capabilities. The more complex challenge now involves organizational alignment. 

Leadership teams are reconsidering how work is structured across digital, marketing and technology functions. New roles are emerging as automation and analytics become more central to operations. Decision-making models are evolving as AI introduces new ways to generate insight and accelerate execution. 

Join the conversation 

The next decade of retail will be shaped by these connected forces: AI-ready technology foundations, AI-mediated customer discovery and leadership models capable of turning innovation into operational impact. 

NRF Nexus brings together senior leaders across digital, marketing and technology to examine these challenges from multiple perspectives. The program explores how organizations are modernizing technology architecture, adapting to AI-driven discovery and building organizational models that support sustained transformation. 

If you’re navigating the shift toward AI-driven commerce and enterprise modernization, NRF Nexus is designed to help executives move from high-level insight to practical decision-making  through focused sessions, interactive roundtable discussions and peer community building. 

Register to attend NRF Nexus 2026 and join the conversations shaping the future of retail.