Rewriting The Retail Playbook: E-Commerce & The Innovation Imperative
Retail is undergoing a rewrite—and the new playbook is powered by intelligence, influence, and innovation. From the rise of agentic commerce to the growing impact of social-first discovery and TikTok Shop, this summit explores how retailers can meet consumers where they are—and where they’re headed. We'll examine the evolving role of AI, the growing demand for personalization before and after purchase, and how digital-native brands are outpacing the rest by building for speed and relevance. With a mix of panels, roundtables, and keynotes, this summit brings together industry leaders to tackle today’s toughest questions—and tomorrow’s biggest opportunities. It's time to reimagine what ecommerce can be, and what it takes to win.
Immerse yourself in thought-provoking insights
Exclusively curated from our previous
Retail Physical Summit
Core Themes
Entering the Age of Agentic Commerce Welcome to the next frontier of retail: where consumers don’t just browse—they authorize. From AI-powered shopping agents to predictive product selection, agentic commerce is empowering shoppers to act with speed, confidence, and automation. This summit unpacks how brands can stay relevant when purchase power shifts from person to algorithm. Swipe, Shop, Share: Retail for the Social-First Consumer Social platforms are no longer just where discovery happens—they’re where conversion happens too. As TikTok Shop, livestream selling, and influencer-led commerce redefine engagement, this summit we discuss how brands can win in a world where culture, community, and commerce are deeply intertwined. Beyond the Buy – Pre & Post Store Personalization Innovation Customer experience doesn’t start at checkout—or end there. We dive into how leading retailers are using customer intel, AI, and behavioral insight to deliver meaningful personalization before, during, and after the transaction, turning one-time buyers into loyal advocates.
Previous speakers
Jim McCann
Shireesh Annam
Jeremy Jung
Brad Wolansky
Nuno Bamberg
Andrew Haarsager
Rachel Perron
Olivier Nourani
Ashwin Ratan
Brian Schmidt
Douglas Kaplan
Christopher Graves
Imteaz Ahamed
Nalin Tewari
Rohit Nichani
Sook Meslin
Agenda
1:10 pm - 1:40 pm
Keynote
1:40 pm - 2:05 pm
Book Signing
2:05 pm - 2:45 pm
Panel
Bots with Benefits - Retail Strategies for Adapting to Agentic Commerce
Agentic commerce marks a major shift in ecommerce—from tools that assist, to intelligent systems that act. This panel will explore how AI-driven agents are reshaping the way retailers operate and engage with customers. From replacing cookies with direct consumer interaction, to AI-powered discovery of influencers and affiliates, to automated customer service that scales with precision—this discussion will dig into how retailers are deploying autonomous technologies to personalize, optimize, and streamline the entire commerce journey. Hear from industry leaders at the forefront of this transformation as they unpack the opportunities and challenges of rewriting the rules of retail for an agentic future.
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Roundtables
Track 1: Building For Tomorrow: Creating a Data-Driven Retail Culture
Retailers have more data than ever before, but turning it into action requires more than dashboards—it requires mindset shifts. This roundtable explores how leaders are embedding data literacy, cross-team access, and experimentation into everyday decision-making. From merchandising to marketing, how do you ensure that decisions are truly data-backed? Participants will discuss barriers like siloed systems and change resistance, and share strategies for building trust in data across the organization. Walk away with ideas to help shift from opinion-based to insight-driven retail.
Track 2: Beyond The Buy – Personalizing the Pre & Post Store Experience
Let’s go beyond product recommendations. This conversation will explore how personalization strategies can shape the entire customer journey — from discovery and browsing to delivery updates and re-engagement. How can brands tailor every moment to build long-term loyalty? In this session, participants will exchange ideas on how to use data, content, and contextual cues to enhance both pre-purchase and post-purchase experiences. We’ll explore tactics like post-buy engagement, personalized returns, and loyalty nudges while discussing what the next generation of personalization will look like.
Track 3: Customer Journey Optimization- Driving Seamless Omnichannel Integration
Today’s customers don’t think in channels—they think in moments. This roundtable explores how retailers are eliminating friction between in-store, online, and mobile experiences. From unified inventory systems to consistent brand messaging, how do you ensure a smooth handoff from one touchpoint to the next? Leaders will share innovations in fulfillment, personalization, and CX strategy that break down silos and boost satisfaction. Expect ideas and frameworks to bring your omnichannel vision to life.
4:10 pm - 4:40 pm
Learning Lab
4:45 pm - 5:15 pm
Polling the pulse
5:15 pm - 5:45 pm
Hot Headlines
7:20 pm - 9:30 pm
Gala Dinner
8:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Dinner Keynote
8:00 am - 8:40 am
Panel
Ctrl+Alt+Customer: Exploring Digital Customer Twins for Retail Intelligence
Imagine having a living model of your customer that evolves with every click, visit, and purchase. Digital Customer Twins are giving retailers exactly that—real-time simulations that help predict what shoppers will do next, where they might drop off, and how to improve their overall experience. This panel brings together industry leaders to explore how digital customer twins are being used to personalize engagement, reduce churn, and make smarter decisions across the entire customer journey. By accurately mirroring behaviors and preferences, digital twins offer retailers a new level of intelligence—fueling smarter decisions, deeper personalization, and proactive engagement across the customer lifecycle. Whether you're already experimenting or just curious, this conversation will spotlight what’s possible when data meets behavioral insight.
8:40 am - 9:10 am
Keynote
9:20 am - 10:20 am
Roundtables
Track 1: Building For Tomorrow: Creating a Data-Driven Retail Culture
Retailers have more data than ever before, but turning it into action requires more than dashboards—it requires mindset shifts. This roundtable explores how leaders are embedding data literacy, cross-team access, and experimentation into everyday decision-making. From merchandising to marketing, how do you ensure that decisions are truly data-backed? Participants will discuss barriers like siloed systems and change resistance, and share strategies for building trust in data across the organization. Walk away with ideas to help shift from opinion-based to insight-driven retail.
Track 2: Beyond The Buy – Personalizing the Pre & Post Store Experience
Let’s go beyond product recommendations. This conversation will explore how personalization strategies can shape the entire customer journey — from discovery and browsing to delivery updates and re-engagement. How can brands tailor every moment to build long-term loyalty? In this session, participants will exchange ideas on how to use data, content, and contextual cues to enhance both pre-purchase and post-purchase experiences. We’ll explore tactics like post-buy engagement, personalized returns, and loyalty nudges while discussing what the next generation of personalization will look like.
Track 3: Customer Journey Optimization- Driving Seamless Omnichannel Integration
Today’s customers don’t think in channels—they think in moments. This roundtable explores how retailers are eliminating friction between in-store, online, and mobile experiences. From unified inventory systems to consistent brand messaging, how do you ensure a smooth handoff from one touchpoint to the next? Leaders will share innovations in fulfillment, personalization, and CX strategy that break down silos and boost satisfaction. Expect ideas and frameworks to bring your omnichannel vision to life.
10:30 am - 11:15 am
Future Focus Speakers
Built in a Browser: What Digitally Native Brands Know That You Don’t
Digitally native brands aren’t just thriving—they’re redefining what success looks like in retail. Free from legacy systems and built for agility, these brands are scaling fast through direct relationships, bold brand identities, and data-fueled experimentation. This session dives into how they're winning with community-led growth, hyper-personalized experiences, and full-funnel control. While traditional players are playing catch-up, digital natives are building deeper loyalty, faster feedback loops, and smarter supply chains. Learn about what’s working for these digitally native powerhouses—and how others can learn from their blueprint.
12:45 pm - 1:10 pm
Closing Keynote
1:10 pm - 1:30 pm
Beyond the Challenges
Hilton Scottsdale Resort & Villas - Scottsdale, AZ
Discover tranquil and rejuvenating moments that inspire your best self. From fitness experiences to food that nourishes the mind and body, stay well with Hilton.
Why attend?
Connect with like-minded senior leaders for a curated agenda, focused on tackling your current business critical challenges and driving industry forward.
Be a part of exclusive shared learning, horizon scanning and actionable insights enabling organizations to deliver transformative strategies.
Build meaningful relationships with solution providers matched to your business priorities to help accelerate your projects and deliver your objectives.
