The vibe at NRF 2026 was clear. Despite the hype, merchants are worried about one thing: complexity.
The winners aren't chasing 'patchwork' solutions. They are integrating their processes and data to keep things simple for staff and consistent for customers.
We are seeing a dual trend: AI is automating the backend, while human connection is reclaiming the frontend. The most concrete lesson is this: AI only creates value if processes are integrated and your systems rely on a single source of truth; otherwise, it merely amplifies the chaos.
Consumers don't just shop 'online' or 'in-store' anymore. They bounce between eCommerce, physical shops, marketplaces, and social media, and they expect the experience to feel the same everywhere.
This is where Unified Commerce stops being just a theory. It’s about bringing customer data, stock, orders, and loyalty together into one single flow.
In this article, we turn the NRF trends into practical actions: what to integrate first, which frictions to remove, and how to measure real results.
AI didn't ask for permission to enter your workflow, it just took over. It’s great at turning data into decisions and stabilising operations, but there is a catch.
The problem isn’t the AI. The problem is what happens when you add speed to inconsistency.
If a customer gets VIP treatment on your website but is treated like a stranger at your physical checkout, the "wow" effect disappears.It’s replaced by a much worse feeling: “They don't actually know me”.
Here are three practical rules to keep AI from making things worse:
"Ah, they recognise me!", "I don't have to explain myself again", "They aren't wasting my time". These aren't just nice-to-haves; this is what continuity feels like.
The customer crosses different channels, often within the same day. The trap isn't measuring by channel; the trap is designing for channels while the customer is on a single journey.
In 2026, the winners are the brands shifting from "Silo KPIs" to "Journey KPIs." They are measuring the things that actually reduce friction:
Here is a simple test: Ask your store teams: "Which moments cause the system to slow down or crash?" If the answer is "It depends", that isn't a failure, that is your roadmap. That ambiguity is exactly where you need to intervene.
Unified Commerce means one simple thing: a single source of truth for customer, stock, orders, and loyalty, accessible to everyone in real-time.
When you have this, the experience stops depending on procedures and guesswork. It becomes repeatable.
In practice, this means:
To dive deeper read our analysis on where Big Tech is heading with the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP).
And our guide on how Unified Commerce simplifies complexity.
In 2026, the pressure is real. Margins are tight, and complexity is skyrocketing.
More systems, more exceptions, more training, more reconciliations. Often, you spend more time "making things work" than actually improving the customer experience.
This is where the winners pull ahead of those who struggle. Why? Because the real costs aren't always the ones in the budget lineshey are the hidden costs:workarounds, duplicated tools, ungoverned rules, and processes that rely entirely on "individual heroes" to save the day... right up until those people quit.
Here are three brutally simple signals that you have a problem:
Want to fix this? Read our practical insights on enterprise migration and its impact on sales.
The market has stopped rewarding brands that hoard technology. Today, the market rewards those who truly understand their customers and know how to serve them without friction.
Here is the honest version:
In New York, this vibe was clear: the store isn’t just an “extra” channel anymore. It is the place where the brand becomes real.
But it only works if the staff isn't forced to manage the chaos. Technology is only useful if it removes friction:
This is where Shopify POS shines. It’s not just a cash register; it’s the bridge between what happens online and what happens in-store, right at the moment the customer is ready to buy.
See it in action: We met with Camille from Shopify to discuss how they integrate the sales process. Watch our video below to see how they handle customer recognition, returns, and loyalty in one flow.
When these elements work together, technology stops weighing your staff down... and your customers stop having to "explain themselves".
We visited some iconic stores in New York to gather practical ideas and see Shopify POS in action.
In 2026, simply "showing up" on social media isn't enough. Attention is fragmented, and trust has to be earned.
At NRF ’26, the message was clear: Micro-communities and long-term credibility are what count. Content only works when it peels back the curtain. Show the reality: the behind-the-scenes, the people, the service, and the product demos. Don't just chase volume for the sake of it.
Stop asking: "How much content should I post?" Start asking: "What trust signals am I building?"
And when you look at the data, don't just measure "Reach". Measure traffic quality, customer retention, and assisted conversions.
We’ve come full circle. AI in retail shouldn't make the experience feel robotic. It should make it more human. Why? Because when AI handles the busywork, it frees up time, reduces friction, and lets your team focus on the customer.
Who wins in 2026?
For brands, this is a race between operating models. Legacy retailers are under pressure, weighed down by financial structures and old tech. Newer players often have the advantage: less baggage from legacy systems and more end-to-end consistency from day one.
Don't chase the latest technology just because it’s new. Focus on making what works repeatable.
In fact, these three questions are worth more than a three-year plan:
If your answer is "It depends", that isn't a failure. It’s your starting point.
Because in 2026, the winner isn't the one with the most software. The winner is the one who knows how to do a simple, rare thing: remove the friction without removing the humanity.