Introduction

Coresight Research is a research partner of Shoptalk Spring 2026, taking place March 24–26 at the Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. In this report, we present highlights from Day 3, covering three themes.

• Retail AI and the Omnichannel Experience—Macy’s executives described how the retailer is using AI to support colleagues and serve customers across channels, while making the case that the human dimension of retail is what sets it apart.
• Premium Brand Building and Physical Retail—New Balance CEO Joe Preston outlined how the brand returned to growth by committing to premium pricing, scaling its physical store presence and manufacturing in the US.
• The Creator Economy Reshapes Commerce—YouTube’s Travis Katz and Jessica Alba of The Honest Company argued that creators have become the most trusted filter in consumers’ buying decisions, with shopping content on YouTube now reaching 110 million hours of daily viewing.
• Shoptalk Spring 2026 Key Takeaways: Shoptalk executives and Sarah Engel, President of January Digital, emphasized that the retail industry is shifting from AI hype to real-world uses. They agreed that while AI will transform business processes and decision-making over the long term, keeping a human touch and prioritizing meaningful customer experiences are still key to retail’s success.

Shoptalk Spring 2026, Day 3: Coresight Research Insights

1. Retail AI and the Omnichannel Experience

From Discovery to Service: Winning the Omnichannel Customer Journey with AI at Macy’s

Macy’s is building what it calls “One Macy’s,” a model in which stores and digital feel like a single, continuous experience rather than parallel channels. Barbie Cameron, Chief Stores Officer at Macy’s Inc., said stores are changing, centered on colleague knowledge, competence and customer connection. Max Magni, EVP and Chief Customer and Digital Officer at Macy’s Inc., put the ambition plainly: “It has got to feel one.”

The clearest expression of that is Ask Macy’s, an AI tool that brings the advisory role of in-store colleagues into the digital environment. Where a colleague in store helps a customer understand how something fits or what goes together, Ask Macy’s does the same online. Magni was direct about where decision-making sits: with the customer, not the bot.

The tool was launched in December specifically so store colleagues could try it and give feedback before it went wider, making the resulting experience more conversational. Customers can upload a photo of a dress and ask how it will fit, then go to a store to try it. Two to three years ago, Macys.com was built around transacting; now it is about guidance, style and elevation.

The physical store is where Macy’s believes it can differentiate. Cameron said the differentiator is the people. The Bold New store strategy added staffing, events and new brands. Macy’s has also recorded its highest-ever Net Promoter Score, which Cameron attributed to colleagues being more friendly and authentic in their greetings. She traced that shift back to the Covid era, when the retailer had become overly transactional, and described equipping colleagues with the right questions to understand what a customer wants as the way to rebuild momentum and trust. Part of that means slowing down: Cameron said observing what customers need is important, and that shoppers don’t want to feel rushed. To support colleagues further, the retailer has deployed AI in two directions: product knowledge tools that help associates understand how items fit and what goes together, and reporting tools for store leadership that consolidate and summarize data so managers can spend more time on the floor with customers. Magni also noted a recent collaboration with Disney that ran across the Macy’s parade and in-store activations.

Cameron made the case for the in-person experience directly. Gen Z, she said, is coming to malls because they want it. The retailer has leaned into that with events, including a recent prom activation where kids made appointments with stylists and makeup artists, and localized store programming: the Houston Rodeo in March prompted rodeo-themed looks on the homepage and large store activations, while Valentine’s Day brought the same visual energy online that the stores were running in person. Cameron noted that kids go online first, then come to the store.

Magni said the data backs that up. Omnichannel customers spend four to five times as much as customers who only transact, making them more valuable. Magni’s goal for the digital experience is relevance, experience and value. He was clear that both customer modes need to be served: some want a fast purchase, others are browsing for trends, which is why the site now features dedicated sections for “new and trendy” and “trends of the moment,” along with personalized recommendations for pairing items. The longer-term goal, Magni said, is for Macy’s to know what size a customer usually buys and which brands they love, so the customer never has to repeat themselves. That ambition comes with a complication: Macy’s is a major gifting destination, and at certain points in the year customers are buying for someone else entirely, which creates a balancing act for AI personalization. On social and video, he said many customers already post reviews with videos, and the team runs on a fail-fast principle, testing new formats and moving on from what doesn’t work.

Cameron closed with a customer letter. A customer lost his luggage before an event and came to a Macy’s store in need of an entire outfit. A colleague spent real time helping him, she said, and turned what was a disaster into something manageable. “AI will enhance through customer education,” Cameron said, “but that human connection will always be important.” Magni’s version of the same point: “We are not in the business of transacting, but for moments that matter.”

Left to right: Barbie Cameron, Chief Stores Officer, Macy’s Inc; Max Magni, EVP and Chief Customer and Digital Officer, Macy’s Inc; and
Romaine Bostick, Bloomberg TV Anchor
Source: Shoptalk Spring

 

2. Premium Brand Building and Physical Retail

Built for the Long Run: How New Balance Sets a Global Pace

New Balance is celebrating its 120th year in 2026. Joe Preston, President and CEO at New Balance, said the brand was not keeping pace with its consumer for a period, which showed up in SNL sketches treating it as a punchline for “dad shoes.” The 1980s, he said, were when New Balance was the top-selling running shoe in the US, and the consumer who fell in love with it then aged with the brand. The brand responded by leaning into its running heritage, running campaigns that paired the 990 running shoe with fathers from Ohio and supermodels from Paris.

The reset involved a clear commitment to premium positioning. New Balance has held the line on discounting in a market that has been more promotional, controlling pricing and inventory rather than chasing volume. Preston said that when everyone in the organization believes in the plan and is committed to being a premium brand, they march toward it together. Part of that commitment shows up in athlete partnerships: the brand has signed Coco Gauff in tennis, Shohei Ohtani in baseball and Gabi Thomas in track and field, entering each sport with athletes Preston described as the best. The brand has grown 180% over the last five years, and apparel — now at $1 billion in sales — has become its fastest-growing category, opening up new opportunities in flagship stores where footwear and apparel can be shown together.

On channel strategy, Preston was deliberate: wholesale has always been part of the approach, because wholesale partners have built their own consumer relationships, and New Balance shows up in the most important cities worldwide through both channels.

Physical retail has been central to the brand’s approach. New Balance opened 80 stores in 2025 and is searching nationwide for locations, with a five-to-seven-year real estate pipeline. The Chicago flagship, at 150,000 square feet, has been a strong performer. An Atlanta store of the same size opened the week of Shoptalk. Preston said the stores are meant to show wholesale partners what the best expression of the brand looks like. New Balance also remains the only major footwear brand manufacturing in the US, with a new facility in New Hampshire.

Joe Preston, President & CEO, New Balance
Source: Shoptalk Spring

 

3. The Creator Economy Reshapes Commerce

Creators, Brands and the Future of Shopping

The session opened with a comment from Jessica Alba, Founder of The Honest Company: the gatekeepers who once decided who appeared on television have lost their grip, and power has shifted to a diverse group of creators, including women who would not previously have had access to those platforms. Travis Katz, GM and VP of Shopping at YouTube, built on that. YouTube, he said, is now the largest online streaming platform by viewing time — viewers watch more YouTube than cable and broadcast TV combined — and the biggest podcasting platform. Creators have shaped that content, and 78% of Gen Z prefer creator-driven content over studio output. People trust creators, Katz said, and that trust shapes buying decisions.

Consumers watch 110 million hours of shopping-related content on YouTube every day, including unboxing videos, reviews and “get ready with me” content, and Katz said brands and retailers not present in those conversations are missing the most influential channel in their customers’ buying decisions. For brands and retailers, he said, the options are buying ads around creator content or engaging with creators directly. YouTube’s platform is also uniquely cross-device, Katz said, with viewers moving between phone, TV and laptop without friction, which makes it the platform with the highest attention in the living room.

4. Shoptalk Spring 2026 Key Takeaways

The retail industry is moving beyond AI hype toward practical application, with companies increasingly focused on real use cases rather than theoretical potential. At the same time, there is a growing recognition that while the trajectory of AI remains uncertain, the risk of not investing outweighs the risk of getting it wrong.

Ben Miller, VP, Original Content & Strategy, Shoptalk, highlighted that Shoptalk intentionally avoided amplifying the traditional hype cycle around agentic AI, instead aiming for what he described as “proper hype”—grounded in real-world applications and their implications. He acknowledged that the industry does not yet have full clarity on how AI and agentic commerce will evolve but clear on one point, “we know we have to invest—the risk in not investing is greater than investing and getting it wrong.” Joe Laszlo, Head of Content & Insights, Shoptalk, built on this by distinguishing between agentic AI and agentic commerce, stating, “agentic AI may be underhyped; but agentic commerce may be overhyped,” explaining that the behind-the-scenes use of AI to accelerate business processes is underestimated, while the idea that bots will fully shop on behalf of consumers is overstated. Sarah Engel, President, January Digital, reinforced this view, noting that AI is “overhyped in terms of impact/fear now, but underhyped over long-term impact,” and encouraged teams to continue pushing forward.

The panel also reflected on a notable shift in industry mindset compared to the previous year. Engel observed a growing willingness among retailers to admit uncertainty, particularly around priorities and next steps, describing a level of openness not seen since the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic when stores were forced to close. Laszlo added that while 2025 conversations often projected confidence in AI capabilities, 2026 reflects a more grounded understanding that the industry is still at the beginning of its journey. Miller noted that this shift has replaced last year’s AI fatigue with a more constructive energy, as companies recognize the need to invest despite not having clear answers.

On the topic of agentic AI, Laszlo emphasized that its most immediate value lies in enhancing research and decision-making rather than fully automating purchases. He suggested that while consumers may not yet rely on bots to complete transactions, agentic systems are already influencing how purchase decisions are made. Engel illustrated this point by comparing agentic capabilities to planning a wedding—supporting decision-making without executing the final purchase. The discussion also referenced broader industry perspectives, including the idea that technological change is often overestimated in the short term and underestimated over the long term.

Beyond AI, the panel repeatedly returned to the importance of maintaining human connection in retail. Laszlo noted that themes of “keeping retail human” surfaced frequently throughout the event, citing examples such as Dutch Bros’ focus on emotion over product and Reddit’s role in providing human-driven purchase advice. He also pointed to audience skepticism toward AI-generated influencers, with many expressing the view that human voices will remain more valuable in the near term. Engel added that elevating frontline experiences can create meaningful, differentiated customer interactions. Laszlo further referenced discussions with brands such as Target and Glossier, highlighting how store environments are being designed to foster interaction and connection among customers.

In reflecting on notable moments, Laszlo cited a shift in brand positioning at Victoria’s Secret, noting that the brand has moved from being “prescriptive on sexy to it being a conversation.” Engel pointed to Steve Madden’s expansion onto DoorDash, highlighting the evolving nature of convenience in retail. Miller reflected on the challenge of articulating rapid industry change in a meaningful and practical way, noting that commonly used phrases like “unprecedented pace of change” can feel clichéd and insufficient in guiding real action.

The session concluded with key epiphanies around customer experience. Miller observed that increased time spent on retailer websites can be a positive signal, noting that AI answer engines are driving deeper engagement and prompting a rethink of what defines a good e-commerce experience. Laszlo reinforced this perspective, stating that while speed is often prioritized, “sometimes, slower is better,” particularly when customers are enjoying content or receiving attentive in-store service. Engel closed by emphasizing resilience, noting that the industry will continue to adapt despite constant change, supported by a strong sense of community and shared learning.

Left to right: Joe Laszlo, Head of Content & Insights, Shoptalk; Sarah Engel, President, January Digital; Ben Miller, VP, Original Content & Strategy, Shoptalk; and Chris Walton, President & CEO Omni Talk
Source: Shoptalk Spring