Our Think Tanks resonate with attendees because of the open and honest dialogue that takes place. Everyone feels like they have a voice in the room in a safe environment to share their perspectives and learn from others.
You’ll find a purposeful mix of recognized industry thought leaders and experienced peers shedding new light on consumer trends, ecommerce, innovative technologies and many more ways retailers are meeting customers’ needs now and in the future.
This year we have extended the time of our Think Tank Sessions due to the popularity of these important conversations.
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Consumer Trends & Insights 2026 and Beyond
Understand how consumers are now shopping with AI assistants, discovery agents and generative interfaces – and what this means for search, brand, loyalty and merchandising.
Agentic AI in Operations (stores, warehouses, DCs)
Explore how autonomous, goal-driven AI agents can optimize store execution, labor allocation, inventory flow and fulfillment across stores, warehouses and distribution centers to drive efficiency and real-time decision-making.
Implementing Agentic Commerce
Discuss the practical steps, governance models and technology architecture required to deploy AI agents that can shop, recommend, transact and serve customers across digital and physical channels.
AI-First Retail: Redesigning Leadership for the Agent-Enabled Enterprise
Examine how retail leadership teams must rethink structures, decision rights, incentives and cross-functional collaboration to operate effectively in an AI-first, agent-enabled enterprise — and why traditional operating models often slow adoption before technology does.
Evolving Roles of Executive Leaders
Consider how digital executives are moving beyond channel management to owning end-to-end intelligent customer journeys powered by personalization engines, predictive insights and AI-driven experiences.
New Requirements for the Tech, Digital and Marketing Workforce
Identify the emerging skill sets in AI engineering, model oversight, fraud and data product management required to support scalable and responsible AI deployment. Discuss the need for talent fluent in experimentation, prompt engineering, journey orchestration and performance analytics to compete in AI-accelerated commerce environments. Examine how creative, media and CRM teams must adapt to generative tools, real-time optimization and AI-assisted storytelling while preserving brand differentiation.
AI and Organizational Change Management
Address the cultural, structural and governance shifts required to align technology, digital and marketing teams around AI adoption while mitigating risk and accelerating enterprise transformation.
Benchmarking Agentic Commerce
Define the KPIs, operational metrics and maturity models retailers should use to measure the impact of AI agents on conversion, margin, productivity and customer lifetime value.
Architecting & Governing the AI-first Enterprise
Explore how to design modular, AI-ready technology ecosystems with strong governance, data foundations, risk controls and investment frameworks that maximize enterprise value while ensuring responsible deployment.
Translating AI Investment into Enterprise Value
Equip leaders to articulate how AI, LLMs and generative commerce initiatives translate into measurable enterprise impact, risk mitigation, operating leverage and competitive moat.
AI Governance
Learn best practices for oversight, ethics, guardrails and accountability as AI systems begin making operational and customer-facing decisions.
Building an AI-Composable Tech Stack
Architect modular, API-first ecosystems that allow AI capabilities to plug in and evolve without full re-platforming.
Customer Acquisition Amid AI Gatekeepers
As AI assistants increasingly mediate discovery and purchase decisions, rethink performance marketing, SEO and brand presence for a world where algorithms — not people — are the first audience.
AEO/GEO Optimization
Define how brands maintain authenticity, trust and emotional resonance when content is increasingly AI-generated and infinitely personalized.
AI-first Marketing Attribution
Find new models for measuring influence when AI agents, generative discovery and conversational interfaces alter the path to purchase.
Convergence in Social Commerce
Unpack why social commerce is reaching an inflection point — and how converging forces like AI-driven discovery, algorithmic merchandising, creator-led retail and embedded checkout are redefining how consumers find and buy products.
The Future of Agencies
AI doesn’t just add tools — it fundamentally pressures the agency model itself: Understand how agencies price, structure talent, create value, manage risk and differentiate.
Content Strategy of the Future
Websites are no longer just destinations, they’re knowledge sources feeding AI systems. Learn how this will impact traffic strategy, content depth, authority building and conversion architecture.
Economic Insights
Explore why consumer spending hasn’t stopped — It’s become more intentional — and how misreading stability or caution can lead retailers to overextend or underinvest. The winners will be those that model volatility, invest in margin intelligence, strengthen differentiation and maintain operational discipline.
Sign up to get information about NRF Nexus 2026 and join senior digital, marketing and technology leaders driving retail’s evolution.
