From the Floor: NRF & CES 2026 Recap
This January felt different.
After years of technology-led hype cycles, both CES and NRF 2026 landed with a clearer message: experiences matter — and the future of retail will be shaped as much by human connection and behavior as by data, AI, and automation.
The year’s shows weren’t about flashy gadgets alone — they were about how those technologies are being woven into real moments people care about.
Below are the moments that stood out most to me on the floor — and what they signal for brands, retailers, and experience designers.
NRF: Retail’s Conversation Shift
The Innovators Showcase
NRF’s Innovators Showcase has always been a bellwether of where retail might be headed. This year, the spotlight wasn’t on the most complex systems — it was on the most impactful ones. Solutions that support inventory visibility, reduce friction at checkout, and create more connected omnichannel journeys took center stage.
The takeaway? Retail is less about point solutions and more about systems that knit experience, data, and execution together — a belief we live every day at BEL.
The Startup Hub — Fresh Eyes on Experience
NRF’s Startup Hub delivered one of the most energizing pockets of the show floor. Here, emerging companies weren’t just pitching features — they were grappling with customer behavior, operations, and change management. Whether it was AI that supports the frontline associate or sensors that track situational context in aisles, the startups we spoke with are asking the right questions: How does this make experience more human? More useful? More connected?
CES: Blending Tech with Real Lives
AARP’s Purpose-Driven Space
In an era where retail and community intersect, the AARP area at CES was one of the year’s most meaningful installations. Instead of showcasing futuristic tech for its own sake, the AARP space highlighted how thoughtful design can enhance quality of life across generations. From digital wellness interfaces to mobility solutions that support older adults, the message was clear: innovation must serve real human needs.
This aligns with a broader trend we’re seeing in retail — the brands winning hearts aren’t those chasing novelty, but those designing experiences that feel inclusive, purposeful, and grounded in authentic value.
Samsung’s First Look Area: A Glimpse at Human-Centered Innovation
Samsung’s “First Look” area delivered one of the best curations of experiential technology at CES. Instead of isolated product displays, the space wove together touchpoints where technology and human behavior intersect — from adaptive screens that respond to presence and motion, to tools that support accessibility and personalization.
This wasn’t just a showcase of features. It was a reminder: the real promise of emerging tech lies in the context where people live, work, and shop.
What These Moments Mean for 2026
Across CES and NRF, a few themes kept repeating:
1. Experience beats interesting tech
At both shows, the most talked-about spaces weren’t the flashiest ones — they were the ones that felt useful, human, or contextual. AARP’s purpose-driven design and Samsung’s cohesive environment prove this.
2. Purpose trumps novelty
Brands are recalibrating toward tech that supports a clear need — not tech for tech’s sake. Whether it’s accessibility, operational clarity, or community relevance, the narrative has shifted from “What’s possible?” to “What matters?”
3. Retail still needs real-world thinking
Retail leaders are waking up to the reality that digital transformation alone — AI dashboards, autonomous checkout, VR prototypes — doesn’t win loyalty. People do. And loyalty is built where technology meets understanding of behavior, context, and environment.
What Comes Next
As we refine our thinking in 2026 planning cycles, here are three questions we’ve been asking clients internally:
Where is experience currently breaking down in your physical environments — not hypothetically, but in real journeys?
Which technologies are actually reducing friction vs. adding complexity?
What behaviors do you want to change or reinforce — and do people even ask for that change?
These are not product questions — they are human questions.
If you want reactions from the show floor, video clips of the spaces above, or insights into how these themes are shaping our work at BEL, let’s talk.