Day three at NRF 2026 felt like the right moment to pause and take it all in. The energy on the floor was real, and the conversations somehow got even better as the week went on. By this point, it wasn’t about rushing between meetings. It was about reflecting on what we’d heard, who we’d connected with, and where retail is heading next.
We connected with retailers and partners who care deeply about performance, data, and delivering better customer experiences. Just as importantly, people were generous with their time, their ideas, and their challenges. That openness is what made this NRF 2026 stand out.
Powered by strong partners
Retail doesn’t move forward in silos, and this year reinforced just how much progress depends on strong partnerships. Throughout the week, we were proud to spend time alongside teams who are deeply embedded in how retail actually operates and who share a practical, execution-first mindset.
A genuine thank you to our partners at GK Software, Verifone, Adyen, ACI Worldwide, FreedomPay, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, Accuvia Software Group, Ingenico, and NCR Voyix. Across the show, conversations went well beyond integrations. They focused on real-world rollout, scale, resilience, and how to support store teams without adding friction. When payments, platforms, and performance come together, retailers gain clearer signal, faster insight, and the confidence to act where it matters most, on the store floor.
What retail leaders are really saying
Retail leadership teams are looking to get back to competing on experience. Not as a marketing message or a brand promise, but as something customers feel in the moment and something teams can execute consistently on the floor. Experience is being pulled back into the performance conversation, where it belongs.
Many retailers spoke candidly about receipt-based surveys and where they’re falling short. Response rates are low and skewed. The feedback that does come in often represents only the most extreme experiences, leaving teams without a reliable, day-to-day view of how stores are actually performing. Leaders know they’re missing what happens in the middle, where most customers sit.
Customer insight is a clear priority heading into 2026, but expectations have changed. Retailers aren’t looking for longer reports. They want insight that points to action. Something that helps teams understand what’s working, what’s breaking, and what to focus on next without needing layers of analysis.
A recurring frustration was the difficulty of linking customer experience directly to sales and revenue. Teams believe strongly that experience drives performance, but they struggle to prove which behaviors actually move conversion, average transaction value, or repeat visits. Without that link, experience remains important, but hard to defend when budgets tighten.
Mystery shopping came up in many conversations as well. While it’s still in use, confidence is fading. One person’s opinion on one day, at a high cost, doesn’t provide the coverage or consistency leaders need to manage performance across hundreds or thousands of stores. Many are questioning whether it’s still fit for purpose.
Running through all of this was a strong desire to simplify how information reaches store teams. Leaders want fewer tools, clearer priorities, and more focused communication. The goal is to empower managers to act with confidence, not overwhelm them with noise. When teams know what matters and why, they’re far more likely to change behavior and deliver better results.
Thank you, and what comes next
As NRF 2026 comes to a close, we want to say a genuine thank you to everyone who stopped by the booth, shared their perspective, challenged our thinking, and spent time with us during the week. It truly was an incredible year. NRF may be behind us, but the ideas and conversations that started there are just getting going. We’re excited to keep building on them together.
If you’d like to continue the conversation, we’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re exploring how to improve in-store experience, connect customer insight across channels, or learn more about omnichannel feedback software, get in touch and let’s keep the discussion going.
