NRF 2026 signaled a definitive pivot for the industry: the honeymoon phase with AI experimentation is over. We have entered the era of execution, where ROI and tangible business impact are the only metrics that matter.
The physical store remains the heart of retail, but its interface is undergoing a radical evolution. Retailers are now tasked with embedding AI into their core operations in a scalable, human-centric, and measurable way. At Globant, we view the transition of AI in the retail industry from mere curiosity to intentional, strategic transformation. Here are the three key takeaways defining this shift.
- From Experimental AI to ROI-Driven Execution
The leadership mindset has shifted: ROI is now the non-negotiable mandate. Retailers are moving away from the “POC graveyard” and prioritizing use cases that move the needle in the short term, whether through operational efficiency or enhanced customer experience.
A major signal of this shift is how consumer discovery is being rewritten. As conversational AI becomes the primary research tool, search is evolving from a list of links into an outcome-driven engine. Brands must pivot from “browsing” to providing “decision support.”
AI agents, or Agentic AI, represent one of the biggest opportunities to make this shift real. Across the value chain, from corporate functions and supply chain planning, to marketing, customer engagement, and customer service, AI retail agents can execute complex workflows that previously required significant human effort.
- Mind the Gap: The Reality Check of Scaling Innovation
While robotics and AI dominated the NRF stage, it also provided the industry’s biggest reality check. The gap between visionary prototypes and scaled execution remains wide. The hurdles are rarely conceptual; they are practical, ranging from data readiness to the complexity of operating in “messy” physical environments.
Success in robotics and high-level AI requires more than a pilot; it requires a complete operational redesign. Scaling breaks down when organizations confront legacy architectures and fragmented processes. Execution today is less about the “tool” and more about the “readiness” of the end-to-end ecosystem, including processes, people, technology and data.
- “Invisible” Tech and the Human-in-the-Middle
The store’s death was greatly exaggerated, but the way we interact with it is being entirely reimagined. We are moving toward a “post-screen” retail environment where voice and computer vision create frictionless, “invisible” convenience, to enable a truly seamless phygital experience.
These technologies, once experimental, are now ready for prime time. The objective is for intelligence to enhance outcomes while fading into the background, removing friction and augmenting a more human-centric and personalized touch. However, this “invisible” tech still requires a “human-in-the-middle” approach. AI is not a replacement for people; it is an evolution of their roles. Leadership’s primary responsibility is now ensuring that adoption, training, and communication are treated as strategic priorities rather than afterthoughts.
The Bottom Line for Leaders
NRF 2026 clarified the industry’s priorities. ROI is the mandate. Agentic AI must be applied with intention. Execution must outweigh aspiration. People are the ultimate multiplier. Retail isn’t disappearing, it’s being rewired for an intentional, human-first, and scalable future.
Globant’s Retail Commerce Studio works alongside leaders to prioritize the right use cases, strengthen data foundations, and embed retail AI solutions in ways that people can adopt and businesses can scale. Explore what this next phase could look like for your organization here.
