{"id":79093,"date":"2026-02-02T11:40:43","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T10:40:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aton.com\/nrf-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-02-03T09:44:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T08:44:44","slug":"nrf-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aton.com\/en\/nrf-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"NRF 2026: what really separates companies that scale AI from those that fall behind"},"content":{"rendered":"

Retail<\/a> has always been a dynamic, fast-moving market, quick to spot trends and seize opportunities. It is the perfect barometer for measuring how AI is being adopted by businesses. What happens here today will happen across every other industry tomorrow \u2014 and the United States has long been a global pioneer.<\/p>\n

In New York, from 11 to 13 January<\/a>, NRF Retail\u2019s Big Show 2026<\/strong> confirmed what many had suspected and few were willing to admit: retail is undergoing a silent, yet unstoppable, revolution.<\/p>\n

John Furner, President and CEO of Walmart U.S., opened the event with a statement that perfectly captured the moment: \u201cWhat we\u2019re experiencing isn\u2019t just change \u2014 it\u2019s a revolution, and AI in particular is transforming the way business is done.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The numbers speak for themselves. According to McKinsey\u2019s latest State of AI 2025<\/em> report<\/a>, 78% of organisations already use AI in at least one business function, up from 55% the previous year. But there is an even more telling figure: only 10% of companies are deploying agentic AI systems<\/strong> at scale within their core business functions.<\/p>\n

In other words, while 78% are \u201cexperimenting\u201d, only a small fraction are actually transforming their operations.<\/p>\n

The gap between those who scale, those who experiment, and those who remain sceptical is becoming the new competitive frontier in retail.<\/p>\n

NRF 2026: more software, less hardware<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

The physical layout of NRF tells a very clear story. Google, Microsoft, SAP, Salesforce and Zebra welcome you right at the front, with large, imposing booths. As you move further towards the outer areas, you start to encounter hardware manufacturers \u2014 with notable presences from Honeywell and Datalogic \u2014 and then smaller competitors, many of them Asian, occupying increasingly modest spaces.<\/p>\n

Budgets reflect the size of their businesses, but above all their future growth prospects. It\u2019s the market itself that is redefining priorities.<\/p>\n

Today, the real competitive advantage lies in software<\/strong>: software that turns data into decisions and actionable plans, anticipates trends and purchasing behaviours, and rationalises operations in real time.<\/p>\n

Agentic AI and robotics at NRF 2026<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Walking through the exhibition halls, it\u2019s clear that agentic AI and robotics<\/strong> are no longer a futuristic vision. They are already a reality.<\/p>\n

Walmart<\/strong> is testing autonomous drone deliveries across 270 stores. Kroger<\/strong> is experimenting with last-mile delivery models based on autonomous vehicles and robots in selected markets. Google<\/strong> is developing agentic commerce systems<\/em> that enable complex conversations and autonomous actions across the entire customer journey.<\/p>\n

In customer support, autonomous AI agents<\/strong> are already delivering tangible results. AI-powered eDesk systems can automate up to 65% of customer requests, while also providing real-time reporting to optimise in-store operations.<\/p>\n

These technologies make it possible to move from reactive to proactive management, with measurable benefits in customer trust and operational efficiency.<\/p>\n

The value of data for real-time decision-making<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

McKinsey estimates that large-scale AI<\/strong> adoption can reduce operating costs by 15% and increase revenues by 10%<\/strong>. But this only happens when AI has access to the right data \u2014 clean, accurate and fully integrated<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

One of the clearest messages from NRF 2026 is how technologies that improve data visibility and accuracy, such as RFID and connected IoT systems<\/strong>, are becoming increasingly central. They enable real-time views of inventory, supply chains and decision-making processes \u2014 the foundation that makes advanced AI possible, from forecasting to predictive analytics across sales, stock levels, turnover and replenishment.<\/p>\n

Building AI capabilities as a competitive advantage<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

In the most advanced retail organisations, technology is not replacing people \u2014 it is reshaping and amplifying their role<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This is a point Brian Cornell<\/strong>, CEO of Target<\/strong>, strongly emphasised on the NRF stage: human interaction will remain a decisive element of the retail experience. It is no coincidence that Target\u2019s growth over the past eleven years \u2014 up 50%, equivalent to around $35 billion in revenue<\/strong> \u2014 has been driven by investing in people who can use technology to create value, rather than be replaced by it.<\/p>\n

Systems such as agentic AI are already proving their impact in this very direction. They free people from repetitive tasks<\/strong> and allow them to focus their time and energy on what truly makes a difference \u2014 customer relationships, advisory roles, and the ability to solve complex problems.<\/p>\n

According to Gartner, by 2028, 15% of everyday work decisions will be made autonomously by agentic AI<\/strong>, up from 0% in 2024. In my view, this is a conservative estimate. This shift does not make people less relevant. It makes them more decisive<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

For this reason, companies should no longer be asking simply: \u201cShould we invest in AI?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The real questions now are: how much and how<\/strong>? What are the best practices for building an AI-ready culture<\/strong>, embedding it into processes, and enabling organisations to capture the full potential of this enormous opportunity \u2014 as early as possible?<\/p>\n

\"NRF<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Retail has always been a dynamic, fast-moving market, quick to spot trends and seize opportunities. It is the perfect barometer for measuring how AI is being adopted by businesses. What happens here today will happen across every other industry tomorrow \u2014 and the United States has long been a global pioneer. In New York, from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":79084,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"class_list":["post-79093","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","keyword-tech-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNRF Retail\u2019s Big Show 2026: the real AI revolution in retail - Aton<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"NRF Retail\u2019s Big Show 2026 confirms that retail is undergoing a silent yet unstoppable revolution. 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