Fresh from the Javits Center, Phillip, Brian, and Alicia unpack NRF 2026's dominant themes, from AI's omnipresence to its curiously low adoption among the very professionals championing it. The conversation moves beyond technology theater to explore what truly drives commerce: cultural connection, intentional brand heritage, and multiplayer engagement that treats customers as collaborators rather than data points.
2026 Brought Us An AI Wake-Up Call
Key Takeaways:
- AI saturation at NRF contrasts sharply with minimal executive adoption
- Successful AI integration preserves brand heritage rather than replacing it
- Multiplayer brand engagement becomes reality through tools like Taco Bell's Fan Styleplatform
- Analog intimacy resurfaces as consumers fight against digital fatigue
- "Who here has used AI to search for a product that you would like to buy? Not a single hand went up. Three out of 300 people had used ChatGPT to search for anything." — Phillip
- "The point isn't the technology. The point is building a memorable experience that connects people to people." — Brian (referencing Taco Bell's Dane Matthews)
- "How do you take a brand that is as beloved and known for being a merchant and design-led company and use technology in a way to just add to it and not try to over modernize it?" — Alicia (on Ralph Lauren's approach)
- "Maybe people are just figuring out where they want their time and how they want to spend their time... getting back to our roots through things like mahjong, board games, and very simplified intimate spaces." — Alicia
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