What actually mattered at Retail Technology Show 2026

Whether you made it to Retail Technology Show 2026 this year or not, a few themes came through very clearly across the two days.

And they’re worth paying attention to – because they reflect what retail is dealing with right now.

The conversation has shifted.

It’s less about new technology, and more about performance. How to operate effectively in a more complex, more pressured environment.

In our conversations on the Enactor stand – including with teams from Dunelm, New Look, Harrods and Mountain Warehouse – the same questions kept coming up:

That shift is being driven by a tougher operating backdrop.

In a session with Richard Lim from Retail Economics, the context was clear: rising wages, energy costs, and ongoing supply chain disruption are continuing to put pressure on margins.

Technology is increasingly being looked at as one of the few remaining levers to drive productivity.

At the same time, customer behaviour is changing – and not always visibly.

AI is starting to influence how people discover, compare and decide on products much earlier in the journey. As discussed at the show, this is already evolving from off-site discovery (through tools like ChatGPT), through to more advanced experiences.

The implication is simple, but significant: by the time a customer reaches your website – or your store – much of the decision-making may already be done.

A point raised in a session from Boots captured this well: retailers need to get closer to the customer earlier, and test assumptions about behaviour far more frequently.

Because those assumptions are shifting quickly.

Alongside this, one theme came through consistently: execution.

The challenge isn’t adopting new technology – it’s making it work in real environments. Particularly in-store, where experience is delivered and operational pressure is highest.

We also attended a panel discussion on protecting the frontline, which highlighted just how much is being asked of store teams today.

More systems, more complexity, more expectation – all while continuing to deliver for customers.

And increasingly, the conversation is expanding beyond operations to include wellbeing, engagement, and how connected teams feel to the wider business.

Because ultimately, performance and culture are closely linked.

Retailers are no longer preparing for change – they’re operating within it.

The priority now is balance:

At Enactor, that’s where our focus remains – helping retailers simplify store operations while staying agile enough to respond to what’s changing around them.

If you’d like to explore any of these themes further, or compare notes from the show, we’d be happy to continue the conversation!