*By Eloi Assis, executive director of Retail products at TOTVS
At the end of each edition of NRF, we left with our heads bubbling with ideas, but also with a clearer vision about the retail journey. In 2026, after following the various lectures, walking through the exhibition pavilion and many parallel conversations, I came to a vision that I am calling the Retail paradox 'how to be brutally automated and deliver a highly humanized experience.
I say paradox because we are seeing a new and powerful engine for retail, called artificial intelligence, but that needs to move in the direction pointed by the consumer compass, which points to a highly human and purpose-driven retail.
1. AI: from magic tool to the heart of the ecosystem
If a few years ago artificial intelligence was treated as an almost magical concept, NRF 2026 showed its “moditization” AI went from being the miracle to becoming the engine, a practical and increasingly accessible tool that helps us perform old tasks in completely new and efficient ways.
The big leap, however, is not just in process automation, but in how this engine is driving a fundamental strategic change: the transformation of retail at the center of a broad and much more complete ecosystem. Cases from giants such as Fanatics, CVS and our Brazilian Magalu have shown that gambling is no longer just about selling a product, but about solving multiple customer problems from the trust already established. Retail becomes the starting point for a universe of financial services, media, well-being and content, creating new revenue sources with higher margins and almost insurmountable competitive barriers.
In this context, the “Agent Trade”, with the idea that AIs will shop for us, still seems to me a distant future.What we see concretely is the need to prepare our business for GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), that is, optimize our records and data so that products are “encontrable and ”comprable for these new interfaces. The final decision is still consumer, but it is undoubtedly more empowered by its AI co-pilots.
Here, the question is how to take the most value out of this new engine to pursue brutal efficiency in all aspects of operational, commercial and strategic.
2. Purpose: authentically conquering the Zalpha consumer
With such a powerful engine, the inevitable question is: where are we going? NRF's second day answered clearly: direction is given by purpose and humanity. AI efficiency needs to be balanced with the authenticity of human connection.
This need is dictated by the new dominant force of consumption: the “Zalphas” (the union of Generation Z and Alpha). Digital natives, they curiously crave real and tactile experiences. A survey presented at the event was categorical: 86% of Generation Z consumers want to touch products before buying. They use digital to discover, but value the physical store as a hub of experiences and community.
At the same time, his relationship with content is absurdly fast.In a talk about the TikTok Shop, an insight struck me: you have only three seconds his journey is not one of search, but of discovery, driven by entertainment (“retainment”) and trust in content creators.
And most importantly: this consumer does not want to be fooled by AI. It requires transparency.If the interaction is with a bot, he wants to know. Technology is welcome, but the lack of authenticity is despised. Trust in a person or an online community far surpasses any traditional advertising.
At this point, the game wins the opposite of automation: the more human and genuine your relationship with your customers, the greater your chances of loyalty.
3. The challenging terrain and the need for fuel
Understanding the engine and compass, we need to face the ground ahead, and it is made of doubts and uncertainties. The global macroeconomic scenario brings unpredictability, and the consumer himself, now co-piloted by AI, makes the old behavior maps increasingly obsolete.
However, as delicate as the external terrain is the danger that lives inside our own “fuel tank”. While visiting the startup pavilion, I saw an avalanche of solutions promising to use AI to clean and organize company data. At first glance, it looks great, but in my view it is the symptom of the great paradox of current retail.
For years we have preached that “se enters garbage, out comes garbage” (garbage in, garbage out). And with AI is no different, there is no quality AI without quality data. Now, the market offers AI itself as a remedy for the poor quality of the data it itself needs to feed on to function. It is like using a failing engine to refine the adulterated fuel that is causing it to fail. The risk of amplifying errors and making worse decisions, but at a frightening speed, is great.
The most critical task for the retailer today is not to go out in search of the most advanced algorithm.It is to go home and do a rigorous audit on your fuel tank, ensuring governance and quality of data at the source, is to do the basics well.
The final message of NRF 2026 is a call to action. The AI revolution in retail will begin not with the purchase of a new technology, but with the uncompromising commitment that this powerful new engine will be guided by a compass of purpose and powered by the purest and most reliable fuel there is: quality data.
