{"id":551455,"date":"2026-01-29T07:19:28","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T07:19:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/?p=551455&#038;preview=true&#038;preview_id=551455"},"modified":"2026-10-09T05:21:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T05:21:15","slug":"nrf-2026-3-strategic-shifts-retailers-cant-ignore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/insights\/expert-perspectives\/nrf-2026-3-strategic-shifts-retailers-cant-ignore\/","title":{"rendered":"NRF 2026: 3 strategic shifts retailers can\u2019t ignore"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<header class=\"wp-block-cg-blocks-hero-blogs header-hero-blogs\"><div class=\"container\"><div class=\"hero-blogs\"><div class=\"hero-blogs-content-wrapper\"><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12\"><div class=\"header-title\"><h1>NRF 2026: 3 strategic shifts retailers can\u2019t ignore<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"hero-blogs-bottom\"><div class=\"header-author\"><div class=\"author-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/02\/Mark_Ruston.jpg?w=200&amp;quality=10\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/div><div class=\"author-name-date\"><h5 class=\"author-name\">Mark Ruston<\/h5><h5 class=\"blog-date\">Jan 29, 2026<\/h5><\/div><\/div><div class=\"brand-image\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/header>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-cg-blocks-group section section--article-content\"><div class=\"article-main-content\"><div class=\"container\"><div class=\"grid-container\"><div class=\"col-12 col-md-2\"><nav class=\"article-social\"><ul class=\"social-nav\"><li class=\"ip-order-fb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/?p=1191675\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" title=\"opens in a new window\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"icon-fb\"><\/i><span class=\"sr-only\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"ip-order-li\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/?p=1191675\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" title=\"opens in a new window\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"icon-li\"><\/i><span class=\"sr-only\">Linkedin<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div><div><div class=\"article-text article-quote-text\">\n<h3 id=\"h-in-this-post-i-m-looking-beyond-the-standard-nrf-recap-of-product-launches-and-vendor-highlights-to-share-three-key-strategic-observations-from-this-year-s-event-and-what-they-mean-for-retail-operations-staffing-and-transformation-in-2026\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">In this post, I\u2019m looking beyond the standard NRF recap of product launches and vendor highlights to share three key strategic observations from this year\u2019s event, and what they mean for retail operations, staffing, and transformation in 2026.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>NRF made one thing very clear: <\/strong>the complex challenges facing today\u2019s retailers won\u2019t be solved by a single new product or breakthrough technology. Instead, the focus needs to shift to more fundamental questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How should AI augment human judgment?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How do you make smart technology decisions in an increasingly crowded landscape?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How can you harness data in ways that strengthen trust rather than erode it?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Purpose-driven retail, powered by intelligence | Capgemini at #NRF2026\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CSTFcYoVmDE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-rethinking-human-ai-collaboration-as-ai-in-the-human-loop\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Rethinking human + AI collaboration as \u201cAI in the human loop\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shopper needs, behaviors, and preferences evolve rapidly and profoundly, especially as new digital technologies challenge the very foundation of the retail experience. But the one area that remains consistent, no matter how advanced or embedded technology becomes, is the importance of human engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our most recent consumer trends research, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/insights\/research-library\/what-matters-to-todays-consumer-2026\/\"><strong><em>What matters to today\u2019s consumer<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, reveals that 74% of shoppers value human interaction during in-store shopping, underscoring how essential people are when it comes to serving other people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, there are areas where work can be meaningfully augmented by AI, particularly in high-volume, data-intensive, repeatable activities such as demand forecasting, replenishment, pricing optimization, and anomaly detection. In these domains, AI capabilities have matured &nbsp;over several years already and are now delivering greater speed, accuracy and consistency, exceeding human performance \u2013 freeing human teams to focus on higher-value creation that more directly impact the end consumer. &nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As AI increasingly takes on background processing and analytical effort, and as shoppers continue to expect more personal, high-touch experiences, retailers must intentionally design how humans and AI work together. <em>In practice, this means solving for two distinct \u2014 but complementary \u2014 variations of the human-AI equation<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Humans in the AI loop:<\/strong> Here, AI is the primary driver, with humans providing oversight, validation, and governance. Teams review and refine AI outputs as confidence builds, gradually reducing manual intervention where appropriate, such as demand forecasting tools that become largely touchless once trained and trusted.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>AI in the human loop:<\/strong> &nbsp;Here, the human is the primary driver, with AI serving as an enabler. AI tools augment frontline and operational teams by putting timely insights and guidance at their fingertips\u2014helping store associates resolve infrequent tasks like maintenance or respond more effectively to customer inquiries without replacing human judgment or interaction.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimately, Human-AI chemistry isn\u2019t about taking the human in or out of any particular area, it\u2019s about designing the right balance so AI handles what it does best, while people focus on what only humans can do. Done well, this ensures retailers\u2019 greatest resource \u2014 their people \u2014 is consistently applied where it creates the most value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-making-ai-and-tech-decisions-in-a-landscape-with-no-clear-winners\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Making AI and tech decisions in a landscape with no clear winners<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When speaking with Chap Achen from Gartner at NRF, he started the conversation by saying that he has a lot of empathy for the position retailers find themselves in today. I share that perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Retailers are navigating a growing set of pressures: rising costs, shrinking margins and increasingly demanding consumers. Chap added another challenge to the list: the uncertainty created by the praid expansion of the technology landscape itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The market is experiencing a surge of AI solutions, platforms, and LLM-enabled tools, many of which deliver impressive out-of-the-box capabilities with limited differentiation. As a result, it has become relatively easy for organizations to appear capable, quickly. &nbsp;At the same time, this abunanace of choice makes it harder to determine which platforms platforms to invest in based on which will become the market leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There were several major announcements from enterprise platforms and hyperscalers, most notably from Google and Shopify with the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.google\/products\/ads-commerce\/agentic-commerce-ai-tools-protocol-retailers-platforms\/\">Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP)<\/a>, a new open standard for agentic commerce that works across the entire shopping journey from discovery and buying to post-purchase support. Despite these major announcements, it is clear that no-one has \u2018won\u2019 the AI race yet and it is unlikely that we will be able to identify many clear winners in the near term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With this in mind, retailers need to take a balanced, risk-aware approach: avoiding lock-in by spreading investment across multiple platforms and treating AI adoption as a portfolio strategy rather than a single-vendor decision. Enterprises will benefit most from interoperable, open ecosystems that support multiple models and technologies \u2014 enabling greater flexibility, resilience, and innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-using-data-to-contextualize-the-experience-without-overstepping\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Using data to contextualize the experience \u2014 without overstepping<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our consumer research reveals an interesting correlation: as shoppers use AI more, their trust in the technology declines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/insights\/research-library\/what-matters-to-todays-consumer-2026\/\">2026 trends report<\/a>, 71% of shoppers are concerned by how Gen AI collects and uses personal data and 76% want to be able to set strict boundaries for a digital assistant. Meanwhile, two-thirds of shoppers trust a digital assistant more when it provides clear explanations for its recommendations and actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The implication is clear: <\/strong>retailers must strike the right balance in how they use data and AI. When new experiences feel natural, timely, and seamlessly integrated, they land on the \u201ccool\u201d side and create real value for customers. When they feel intrusive or overreaching, they quickly cross into \u201ccreepy,\u201d eroding trust instead of building it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As brands and retailers incorporate AI in new ways within the shopper experience across many touchpoints, they need to ensure its use is transparent, responsible, and explainable. The cost of not doing so will be a massive opt-out on the part of shoppers (what does massive opt-out look like? Think about the AI version of the unsubscribe button from email marketing).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is what <em><strong>purpose-driven retail<\/strong><\/em> really looks like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Taking these 3 takeaways in combination, winning in Retail will not be defined simply by who adopts the newest technology first, but by who applies it most thoughtfully as part of a cohesive strategy. Competitive advantage and business value will come from putting AI in service of people (both your employees and consumers), building interoperable foundations that can adapt as the landscape shifts, and using data in ways that deepen trust rather than undermine it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Are you ready to embrace the future of purpose-driven retail? Capgemini can help. Reach out to me to learn more about how our team can help yours navigate a challenging and uncertain landscape.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\" section section--expert-slider wrapper-people-slider wp-block-cg-blocks-wrapper-people-slider\"><div class=\"container\"><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"content-title col-12 col-md-8\"><h2 data-maxlength=\"34\" class=\"people-heading-title\">Author<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"slider slider-boxed\"><div class=\"container\"><div class=\"slider-window\"><div class=\"slider-list\">\t\t<div class=\"slide\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"box\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-6 col-lg-4 box-img-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/02\/Mark_Ruston.jpg\" alt=\"Mark Ruston\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-6 col-lg-8 box-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row title-social-media-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-12 col-lg-6 mbl-social-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"social-nav\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"subnav-button--form\" href=\"javascript:void(0)\" aria-label=\"contact us\" data-bs-toggle=\"modal\" data-bs-target=\"#WPBe835a131_7f52_4ace_9f37_c80a0f689d2c\" data-bs-expert-title=\"1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ico-form\"><\/i>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a aria-label=\"Linkedin\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Opens in a new window\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/mark-ruston-1089099\/\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"icon-li\"><\/i><\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-12 col-lg-6 box-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"box-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"people-profile-title\">Mark Ruston<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>VP, Global Retail Lead, Capgemini<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-12 col-lg-6 social-box-container dkt-social-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"social-nav\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"subnav-button--form\" href=\"javascript:void(0)\" aria-label=\"contact us\" data-bs-toggle=\"modal\" data-bs-target=\"#WPBe835a131_7f52_4ace_9f37_c80a0f689d2c\" data-bs-expert-title=\"Mark Ruston\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ico-form\"><\/i>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a aria-label=\"Linkedin\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Opens in a new window\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/mark-ruston-1089099\/\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"icon-li\"><\/i><\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"people-info\">Mark Ruston is Capgemini\u2019s Global Retail Lead with 22+ years in consulting and transformation. He helps Tier 1 retailers and CPGs bridge strategy and execution, driving growth and measurable outcomes. With global experience and deep supply chain expertise, Mark champions AI to boost productivity and reduce waste \u2014 positioning operations as a key driver of consumer experience.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"modal\" id=\"WPBe835a131_7f52_4ace_9f37_c80a0f689d2c\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"modal-dialog modal-dialog-centered modal-lg modal-dialog-scrollable landing-page-modals\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"modal-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"modal-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"btn-close\" aria-label=\"close\" data-bs-dismiss=\"modal\"><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"modal-body\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"logo-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/themes\/capgemini2025\/assets\/images\/logo.svg\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\talt=\"Lets connect\" class=\"light\" 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data-image-url=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/insights\/research-library\/what-matters-to-todays-consumer-2026\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/Consumer-trend-2026-web-banner.jpg?w=800&#038;quality=70 1x, https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/Consumer-trend-2026-web-banner.jpg?w=800&#038;quality=70 2x\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmedia=\"(min-width: 1500px)\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/Consumer-trend-2026-web-banner.jpg?w=800&#038;quality=70 1x, https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/Consumer-trend-2026-web-banner.jpg?w=800&#038;quality=70 2x\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmedia=\"(min-width: 992px)\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/Consumer-trend-2026-web-banner.jpg?w=800&#038;quality=70 1x, https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/Consumer-trend-2026-web-banner.jpg?w=800&#038;quality=70 2x\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmedia=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/Consumer-trend-2026-web-banner.jpg?w=350&#038;quality=70 1x, https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/Consumer-trend-2026-web-banner.jpg?w=700&#038;quality=70 2x\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmedia=\"(min-width: 0)\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/Consumer-trend-2026-web-banner.jpg\" alt=\"\" style=\"object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/picture>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div><div class=\"col-12 col-lg-4 d-md-none d-lg-block\"><\/div><div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 col-lg-4\">\n                           <a href=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/insights\/research-library\/what-matters-to-todays-consumer-2026\/\" aria-label=\"What matters to today\u2019s consumer 2026\" class=\"card-link-holder\">\n                            <div class=\"insight-card insight-card-center\">\n                                <div class=\"card-tag\">Report<\/div>\n                                <h3 class=\"card-title\">What matters to today\u2019s consumer 2026<\/h3>\n                                <div class=\"insight-card-footer\">\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/themes\/capgemini2025\/assets\/images\/capgemini-research-institute.svg\" alt=\"capgemini-research-institute\" class=\"light\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/themes\/capgemini2025\/assets\/images\/capgemini-research-institute-white.svg\" alt=\"capgemini-research-institute\" class=\"dark\">\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 col-lg-4\">\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/insights\/research-library\/retail-media-networks-as-revenue-growth-engines\/\" aria-label=\"Retail media networks as revenue growth engines\" class=\"card-link-holder\">\n                            <div class=\"insight-card insight-card-start\">\n                                <div class=\"card-tag\">Point of view<\/div>\n                                <h3 class=\"card-title\">Retail media networks as revenue growth engines<\/h3>\n                                <div class=\"insight-card-footer\">\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\" alt=\"\" class=\"light\">\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\" alt=\"\" class=\"dark\">\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <\/div><div class=\"layout-two-card cards-reversed\">\n                                <div class=\"row align-items-center\"><div class=\"card-image-wrapper\">\n                                <div class=\"card-image\" data-image-url=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/insights\/research-library\/the-future-of-commerce-media\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/future-of-commerce-media-hero-Banner.jpg?w=800&#038;quality=70 1x, https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/future-of-commerce-media-hero-Banner.jpg?w=800&#038;quality=70 2x\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmedia=\"(min-width: 1500px)\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/future-of-commerce-media-hero-Banner.jpg?w=800&#038;quality=70 1x, https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/future-of-commerce-media-hero-Banner.jpg?w=800&#038;quality=70 2x\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmedia=\"(min-width: 992px)\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/future-of-commerce-media-hero-Banner.jpg?w=800&#038;quality=70 1x, https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/future-of-commerce-media-hero-Banner.jpg?w=800&#038;quality=70 2x\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmedia=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/future-of-commerce-media-hero-Banner.jpg?w=350&#038;quality=70 1x, https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/future-of-commerce-media-hero-Banner.jpg?w=700&#038;quality=70 2x\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmedia=\"(min-width: 0)\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/01\/future-of-commerce-media-hero-Banner.jpg\" alt=\"The future of commerce media\" style=\"object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/picture>\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div><div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 col-lg-4 flex-sm-order-reverse\">\n                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/insights\/research-library\/turning-food-waste-into-business-value\/\" aria-label=\"Turning food waste into business value\" class=\"card-link-holder\">\n                            <div class=\"insight-card insight-card-start\">\n                                <div class=\"card-tag\">Point of view<\/div>\n                                <h3 class=\"card-title\">Turning food waste into business value<\/h3>\n                                <div class=\"insight-card-footer\">\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\" alt=\"\" class=\"light\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\" alt=\"\" class=\"dark\">\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 col-lg-4\">\n                           <a href=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/insights\/research-library\/the-future-of-commerce-media\/\" aria-label=\"The future of commerce media\" class=\"card-link-holder\">\n                            <div class=\"insight-card insight-card-center\">\n                                <div class=\"card-tag\">Point of view<\/div>\n                                <h3 class=\"card-title\">The future of commerce media<\/h3>\n                                <div class=\"insight-card-footer\">\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\" alt=\"\" class=\"light\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\" alt=\"\" class=\"dark\">\n                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"col-12 col-lg-4 d-md-none d-lg-block\"><\/div><\/div>\n                    <\/div><div class=\"latest-insights-load-more\"><a class=\"more2\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"Find more about Latest Insights Invent\" href=\"\/au-en\/insights\/research-library\/#industry=retail\">Find more<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Three key strategic observations from NRF 2026, and what they mean for retail operations, staffing, and digital transformation in 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":371,"featured_media":551456,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cg_dt_proposed_to":[],"cg_seo_hreflang_relations":"[{\"uuid\":\"e5f78d69-0fdb-4715-a8fa-5f914f1eecd8\",\"blogId\":\"10\",\"domain\":\"www.capgemini.com\",\"sitePath\":\"\/au-en\/\",\"postLink\":\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/2026\/01\/30\/nrf-2026-3-strategic-shifts-retailers-cant-ignore\/\",\"postId\":551455,\"isSaved\":false,\"isCrossLink\":false,\"hasCrossLink\":false,\"hreflang\":\"\",\"link\":\"\"}]","cg_seo_canonical_relation":"","cg_seo_hreflang_x_default_relation":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"cg_dt_approved_content":true,"cg_dt_mandatory_content":false,"cg_dt_notes":"","cg_dg_source_changed":false,"cg_dt_link_disabled":false,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_brand":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","featured_focal_points":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"brand":[66],"service":[172],"industry":[39],"partners":[],"blog-topic":[84,86],"content-group":[],"class_list":["post-551455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","brand-capgemini","service-data-ai","industry-retail","blog-topic-customer-experience","blog-topic-data-and-ai"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.7 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>NRF 2026: 3 strategic shifts retailers can\u2019t ignore - Capgemini Australia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.capgemini.com\/au-en\/insights\/expert-perspectives\/nrf-2026-3-strategic-shifts-retailers-cant-ignore\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"NRF 2026: 3 strategic shifts retailers can\u2019t ignore\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Three key strategic observations from NRF 2026, and what they mean for retail operations, staffing, and digital transformation in 2026.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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