NRF – this is the place where Retail proves again and again it moves the world.

The Big Show: the tempo is sharp, everything moves with intent.

This is not an expo, it’s a pressure test.

Hallways become arenas, conversations skip the preamble, ideas collide not to impress but to endure.

The city outside never slows down, neither do the halls inside.

Technology shows its teeth, not just slide decks.

And strategy is spoken in verbs, not adjectives: Retail here is not romantic, it’s operational.

Tech, concepts, data, people – everything is exposed.

Here techies listen more than they pitch, and Retail Executives walk fast, thinking faster.

All that said, please be careful.

Most products will wear an ‘AI’ label, whether it belongs there or not.

More ‘AI’ badges, more ‘AI’ buzzwords – far louder than last year.

For you walking the floor, the real challenge won’t be discovering Artificial Intelligence innovation. It will be spotting the difference between what’s genuinely intelligent and what’s simply dressed up to look that way.

My personal wish: let’s enjoy NRF 2026, have fun and learn new awesome things.

Andy Cavallini