What retailers were talking about at NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show Europe

Key takeaways from NRF 2026: Retail's Big Show Europe

• There was one consistent message from retailers across Europe: artificial intelligence has shifted from experimentation to deployment across merchandising, pricing, logistics, training and customer service.

• Retailers are investing in connected store technology to improve inventory accuracy, employee productivity and customer experiences. Morrisons alone is rolling out more than 10.8 million electronic shelf labels across 497 supermarkets.

• Physical stores are increasingly valued as places where retailers build trust through expertise, service, discovery and personal relationships.

• Unified commerce strategies are focused on reducing friction between digital and physical channels rather than making every channel identical.

• Loyalty programs are evolving beyond discounts and points to provide access, community, recognition and ongoing engagement.

• Retail leaders repeatedly emphasized that technology is most effective when it enhances the human side of retail and gives employees more time to serve customers.
  
  

The future of retail was not treated as a distant scenario at NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show Europe. During three days in Paris, industry leaders focused on what they are doing now: Putting artificial intelligence into production; connecting digital and physical commerce; rethinking stores as places of trust; and using loyalty to create relationships that extend beyond a transaction. 

The conversations reflected the National Retail Federation’s role as a global convener and curator — bringing together retailers from 70 different countries that are operating in different cultures and formats, then surfacing the practical ideas that can travel across borders. Five themes stood out. 

AI has moved from experimentation to execution 

The clearest message from NRF Europe was that artificial intelligence is no longer a side project. Retailers are putting it to work across merchandising, pricing, transportation, replenishment, compliance, training and customer service. The biggest transformation could happen behind the scenes, where better data and faster decisions can make the experience in front of the customer feel simpler. 

Dan Finley, group chief executive officer of Debenhams Group, described technology as the epicenter of the company’s turnaround. An AI-first approach can improve promotional and margin decisions, expand product information at scale and support more assisted selling. His message was direct: Retailers must build the speed and agility to respond to whatever comes next. 

Charlotte Delmas of Lagardère Travel Retail said AI can help a complex multinational business move from information to action more quickly, automate backend processes and augment employee training. At Żabka Group, centralized AI capabilities and franchisee tools support replenishment, compliance and store operations — helping the retailer manage labor costs while serving millions of customers each day. 

Kate Ancketill, CEO of GDR, focused on the culture required to make these investments work. Her advice was to widen the funnel of ideas, look beyond one’s own sector, use AI as a research partner, experiment continuously and move on quickly when a test fails. The goal is not perfect prediction; it is an organization that learns faster. 

Why connected stores are becoming retail’s operating system 

Retailers also talked about connecting the store in practical, operational terms. Morrisons is rolling out millions of electronic shelf labels across hundreds of supermarkets, ecommerce systems and upgraded in-store Wi-Fi. 

What began as price automation is becoming a broader platform. Pick-to-light technology helps employees locate products, improves first-time pick rates and makes it easier for new colleagues to navigate stores. A customer-facing Shop-to-Light function will connect Morrisons’ Product Finder app to shelf labels, guiding shoppers to the right aisle and flashing the exact product location. 

The larger principle echoed across the show: Absorb complexity on the back end so customers and employees encounter simplicity on the front end. Connected infrastructure earns its value when it improves accuracy, availability, productivity and service at the same time. 

Physical retail is becoming a place of trust 

The discussion of experiential retail was notably grounded. Leaders were not advocating spectacle for spectacle’s sake. They were asking what a physical space can provide that a digital interface cannot: reassurance, expertise, sensory discovery, personal service and a deeper relationship with the brand. 

Aroma-Zone’s expansion from ecommerce into stores illustrates the opportunity. Customers can touch, smell and learn about products, attend workshops and receive guidance from experts. The result is not simply another sales channel; it is a learning environment that gives customers confidence and keeps them connected to the brand’s broader ecosystem. 

Jesper Magnusson of ARKET described the shift as moving from a point of sale to a point of relationship. Architecture, cafés, products and service all contribute to trust. Westwing is pursuing a similar goal, using stores to let customers test comfort, receive design advice and experience a globally consistent brand with a locally relevant touch. 

The caution from the stage was equally important: Do not confuse experience with entertainment. A memorable activation can attract attention, but if it is off-brand or does not add value, it will not create a lasting relationship. Meaningful experience begins with relevance and trust. 

How retailers are reducing friction through Unified commerce

Consumers move fluidly among apps, websites, stores and delivery platforms, but they do not want to see the complexity required to connect those touchpoints. ARKET’s formulation was simple: Connect the data, reduce friction and let the brand move with the customer. 

The expectation is especially clear in grocery. Consumers want products faster and at the quality they expect, whether the need is immediate or planned for later in the week. For retailers, quick commerce must be designed with as little friction as possible for the store teams picking orders and serving customers in person. 

Westwing framed the same opportunity from both directions: Make online shopping feel more tactile and consultative, and make the store feel as expansive and informed as digital. The goal is not for every channel to look the same, but for each to reinforce the others. 

Why loyalty programs are shifting from rewards to relationships

At SNIPES USA, app-led innovation is turning loyalty from a benefit into an everyday connection with the sneaker community. Cash-back rewards, early product access, reservations and event invitations give customers reasons to engage between purchases. 

Store teams are central to making that model work. Employee referral codes can encourage enrollment while strengthening personal connections with customers. The underlying lesson is straightforward: People will engage with digital experiences when the value is clear, and employees are often the most effective bridge between technology and the customer. 

The most compelling loyalty propositions combine convenience and financial benefits with access, recognition and experiences that money alone cannot buy. In that model, loyalty is no longer a points ledger. It is a community and a richer, more useful understanding of the customer. 

Technology works best when it strengthens the human side of retail 

For all the discussion of AI, automation and connected data, retailers consistently returned to people. Żabka emphasized using AI to improve engagement across headquarters and its franchise network. Lagardère Travel Retail pointed to augmented employee training. ARKET described “gentle technology” that supports human connection rather than competing with it. 

The recurring principle was that technology should give employees better information, remove repetitive work and create more time for customers. The more sophisticated the back end becomes, the more natural and human the front end should feel. 

From insight to action 

Taken together, the conversations at NRF Europe showed an industry in execution mode. Leaders are not waiting for perfect certainty. They are testing AI, redesigning operations, investing in stores, connecting channels and finding new ways to earn loyalty — while preserving the trust and human relationships at the heart of retail. 

That is where NRF’s role matters. By convening retailers, innovators and market leaders from around the world, NRF creates a place to compare approaches, challenge assumptions and identify ideas that are ready to be put to work. 

The message from NRF Europe was concrete: Build the capabilities to adapt, use technology with purpose and never lose sight of the customer.