Shoptalk has established itself as one of the tentpoles of the retail conference circuit. Thousands descended upon Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas last week in what Shoptalk called “The most important event in retail.”
For us at Kasama, it was important for several reasons. Yes, there were key conversations around the biggest ecommerce drivers and barriers to success for retail. But it was also a chance to do some good in the world.
We were proud supporters and donors for the eCommerce Fight for Charity, where B2B SaaS leaders competed in boxing matches the first night of Shoptalk to raise money for Charity: Water, Doctors Without Borders, and the American Cancer Society. It was great to see so many come out to support great causes and kick off the conference in an incredible way.
Now let’s get to the biggest topics of conversation that we took away from the three days in Mandalay Bay.
The AI Fog is Heavy
Like the majority of marketing and retail discussions in 2026, Shoptalk centered around AI. Its theme was “Retail in the Age of AI,” so it wasn’t a surprise that much of the content and chats on the conference floor were about AI.
Despite the chatter, no one still has the answers when it comes to agentic AI for retail. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. As one speaker put it, this is the best conference season in years because no one has AI figured out yet, which has led to actual collaboration.
And there’s still time for that collaboration and testing because the work being done is largely planning for the future. As several retail executives speaking at the show discussed, consumers aren’t necessarily expecting or using agentic AI throughout the shopping journey yet. And how much they will adopt these new behaviors is still up in the air. But leaders in the space are planning for a world where agentic AI is a central part of every step of the buying process.
The AI strategies are also becoming more tactical and not just big-picture. Brands are sharing how they’re using AI for specific customer actions, like how Gap is focusing on fitting and sizing or and Sephora for loyalty rewards. If brands want consumer adoption to pick up, they have to get tactical and specific with how AI is going to impact the shopping experience.
Connection Still Matters
A counter to the AI-heavy discussion were a handful of sessions and themes centered around humanity. It may seem obvious, but as the shopping experience becomes more automated and AI-led, human connection is still very much a critical component. And that message was reinforced at Shoptalk.
Several executives spoke around how they want their brands associated with community or a specific emotion and not just the products they sell. The focus also shifted to maintaining physical retail experiences in a digital world. One session, a panel called “Stores as Venues for Connection” that included leaders from Target, Simon Property Group, and Glossier, shared ideas for how to innovate brick-and-mortar locations while fostering connection and community.
How Are You Taking Action?
Justin Racine of Perficient made an excellent point in CMSWire recapping Shoptalk about a conversation with a retail executive regarding maintaining a doer mindset. Talk and ideas are great, but what matters most is action.
That’s also critical for anyone coming back from a conference like Shoptalk. Three days of new ideas and collaboration are great, but only if you are able and willing to take what you learn and apply it to your everyday business.
If you haven’t figured out how to activate your newfound knowledge or don’t think you’re able to get it off the ground on your own, let us know. We’re helping retailers like you enhance their ecommerce strategies and leverage AI for better customer experiences.
