Insight ReportCEO Brief: How Retailers Should Approach Technology for the Holiday 2026 Shopping Season John Harmon, CFA, Managing Director of Technology Research Sector Lead: John Mercer, Head of Global Research and Managing Director of Data-Driven Research April 23, 2026 Reasons to ReadDiscover how AI-driven technologies are reshaping the retail landscape, enhancing customer experience, and optimizing operations just in time for the 2026 holiday shopping season. Read this report to discover answers to these and other questions: How can AI improve product discoverability and create a more seamless customer experience? In what ways can AI transform inventory management and boost workforce productivity? What steps can retailers take to reduce friction in checkout and offer more payment options? How can retailers leverage generative AI to ensure complete and accurate product information? What opportunities and challenges does agentic commerce present to retailers? Companies mentioned in this report include: Target, Sam’s Club, Uniqlo, Amazon, Salesforce, Algolia, Workday, Yoobic, Zebra, Honeywell, Aptos. Data in this report include: Consumer usage statistics of GenAI tools; Adoption of AI technologies by major retailers; AI-driven supply chain and inventory data; Trends in checkout and payment methods. Other relevant research: Agentic Commerce—How Should Retailers Leverage GEO to Maximize AI-Engine Visibility? Next-Generation Product Information Management: From Spreadsheets to AI CEO Brief: Intelligent Inventory—Achieving Inventory Excellence RetailTech: Empowering Retail’s Front Line, Creating Smarter Stores—Five Tech-Driven Strategies for Associate Enablement Reinventing Store Checkout: Minimizing Friction to Drive Business Growth Already a subscriber? Log in You are currently viewing a preview of this report. Please select an access option to view the full report. Hide Options - Show Options + Get unlimited access to all our research with one of our subscription plans. View Subscription Plans or Contact us to purchase this report. Contact us ✕ This document was generated for Other research you may be interested in: March 2025 US Retail Sales Outlook: Lowering Our Retail Growth Projections in an Uncertain ContextGlobal Tech and Retail Layoffs in 2025: Structural or Cyclical?Leveraging Digital Services, AI and Quick Commerce for Competitive Advantage: Global Learnings for US Retail and E-CommerceRolling Metric Stabilizes: Weekly US Consumer Sentiment, Week 38, 2025—Infographic