From left: PwC's Ali Furman, NRF's Bill Thorne and Stripe's Barbara O'Beirne on the Retail Gets Real podcast at NRF 2026: Retail's Big Show.
Barbara O'Beirne, Head of Global Enterprise Business Development, Stripe
Live from NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show in New York City, Ali Furman, partner and U.S. consumer markets industry leader at PwC, and Barbara O’Beirne, head of global enterprise business development at Stripe, join Retail Gets Real for a wide-ranging conversation on how artificial intelligence is rapidly moving from experimentation to execution — and what that means for retailers right now.
Near the Expo floor buzzing with robots, AI demos and next-generation technology, Furman and O’Beirne unpack why agentic AI represents a structural change rather than a passing trend. Unlike earlier generations of AI that primarily assisted with search and discovery, agentic AI is designed to act. It can evaluate options, make decisions and increasingly transact on behalf of consumers. They say this evolution is reshaping the very top of the shopping funnel and redefining how consumers decide what to buy.
Furman says consumers are beginning their shopping journeys with AI agents rather than traditional search engines or retail websites. These tools interpret intent, compare trade-offs, and guide high-consideration decisions — from health and wellness purchases to everyday essentials. As trust in artificial intelligence grows across generations, including Generation X, agent-assisted purchasing is becoming more mainstream, signaling a fundamental shift in consumer behavior.
O’Beirne expands on how commerce itself is moving into AI-native environments. Consumers are no longer just researching products in conversational interfaces like ChatGPT or Copilot; they increasingly expect to complete transactions in the same place. For retailers, this creates both urgency and opportunity. Success will depend on meeting customers where they already are, while delivering the same frictionless, trusted experiences they expect from traditional channels.
Rather than signaling the end of bricks-and-mortar retail, both guests emphasize a redefinition of the store’s role. Physical locations may serve more as experiential hubs, showrooms, and brand touchpoints, while transactions happen elsewhere — sometimes invisibly, through AI-driven replenishment or delegated purchasing. Younger generations, digitally native and hungry for new experiences, continue to seek in-store engagement even as sales increasingly decouple from foot traffic.
Ali Furman, Partner and U.S. Consumer Markets Industry Leader, PwC
From experimentation to execution
Furman and O’Beirne also discuss a strategic partnership between PwC and Stripe, designed to help retailers move faster from pilot programs to real-world implementation. Furman stresses the importance of making AI a core business strategy, not just an IT initiative, while O’Beirne highlights the need for infrastructure that abstracts complexity, preserves trust and keeps retailers in control as merchants of record.
A consistent message emerges: No one has fully figured this out yet, and that’s OK. The pace of change is unprecedented, but early experimentation, thoughtful pilots, and strong leadership can position retailers to adapt and grow. As agentic commerce accelerates, the retailers that succeed will be those who move with speed, flexibility and a clear focus on customer outcomes.
(00:00:00) Why agentic AI is everywhere at NRF 2026
How this year’s Big Show signals a turning point for artificial intelligence in retail
Why the conversation has shifted from experimentation to execution
What “agentic AI” really means and why it’s different from GenAI
Why retailers are starting to see AI as a brand-new shopping channel
(00:04:07) How commerce is moving inside AI conversations
Why Stripe sees agentic commerce as an infrastructure shift, not a feature
The difference between autonomous AI buying and commerce inside AI tools
How consumer behavior is changing from search to conversation
What it means for retailers to sell where decisions are now being made
(00:06:47) Why agentic commerce is a structural shift, not a trend
How AI is moving to the very top of the shopping funnel
Why trust in AI purchasing is growing across generations
What’s missing today and how the experience will evolve
Why this shift could rival e-commerce and bricks-and-mortar alike
(00:09:39) How will agentic AI impact bricks-and-mortar retail?
Why physical stores could evolve into experience and brand hubs
The idea of stores as marketing investments, not just sales channels
How AI could push everyday shopping behind the scenes
Why in-person retail still matters to digitally native generations
(00:12:02) How PwC and Stripe are helping retailers move from pilots to reality
Why this partnership is designed to turn strategy into execution
How retailers can experiment without adding unnecessary complexity
Why so many leaders feel “behind” — and why that’s not a failure
What it really takes to keep up when change moves at cultural speed
(00:18:05) Where retail leaders should start with AI right now
Why AI must be a business strategy, not just an IT initiative
How intentional pilots lead to real ROI and momentum
Why adoption is more about people than technology
What separates winners as commerce becomes more distributed
Learn more about PwC and Stripe's strategic partnership
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