NRF APAC 2026: Back from NRF APAC

Richard Dodd, Head of Strategy & Innovation, Jules Carrell, Director, and Joe Gare, Head of APAC, have just returned from NRF APAC – a gathering that has quickly established itself as one of the most closely watched fixtures on the retail calendar, drawing together retailers, brands, and technology leaders from across the region.

Set against the usual rhythm of keynotes, exhibition halls, and the far more revealing conversations that take place in corridors and over coffee, a handful of clear themes emerged.

Artificial intelligence, unsurprisingly, remained ever-present – though the tone has shifted. The early fascination with experimentation has given way to something more measured. Retailers are now preoccupied with questions of ownership, governance, and adoption, alongside a growing desire to understand what “value” actually looks like beyond efficiency alone.

Unified commerce, too, continued to command attention. Despite years of investment and transformation programmes, many organisations are still grappling with the practical realities of joining up systems, data, and customer experience. In a region as operationally diverse as APAC, the challenge feels less like a project and more like an ongoing condition of modern retail.

Perhaps most notable, however, was the candour of the discussions. Beneath the familiar language of innovation and transformation lay something more grounded: honest reflections on growth, customer expectation, and the sheer complexity of operating at scale in an environment that refuses to stand still.

There was also a quiet pride in the ecosystem that has taken shape around Enactor across the region. As an open and extensible platform, its real story is increasingly told not in what is built centrally, but in what partners are doing with it on the ground. At NRF APAC, we were joined by Velocity, SUNMI, Mulberry Group, and Altafirma – each bringing a distinctly local perspective, and each demonstrating, in their own way, how the platform is being shaped by the realities of different markets.

We are grateful to everyone who made time to connect with Richard, Jules, and Joe throughout the week. The conversations were as generous as they were insightful, and we return with a renewed appreciation of both the challenges and the possibilities facing retailers across the region.