Shoptalk Spring 2026 Quick Report: Where Will Retail’s Competitive Edge Come From in the Age of AI?

～AI Agents, Discovery Commerce, and Retail Media: The Next-Generation Customer Experience Shaped by Leading U.S. Companies～

In March 2026, Shoptalk Spring 2026, one of the world's largest retail conferences, will be held in Las Vegas. At this year's conference, AI will be discussed as more than just a tool for improving efficiency—it will be seen as an entity that simultaneously transforms the shopping experience, marketing, and store operations. The evolution of retail media discussed by OpenAI and Sephora, the "shopping through AI agents" discussed by e.l.f. Beauty, and the AI-era customer strategies practiced by top companies such as Wayfair, Lowe's, and New Balance. With AI, the axes of competition in retail are shifting from "search" and "advertising" to "data," "customer understanding," and "brand experience".

In this seminar, we will organize the key points that retailers and manufacturers should focus on in the AI era, based on on-site sessions and corporate case studies. Moderated by Takashi Okutani of Customer Times Inc., Ban, Chief Evangelist of Lazuli Inc., who is visiting the venue, will share the latest information immediately after returning to Japan from a perspective that can be applied to the practical work of Japanese companies.

[Highlights Scheduled for Site Visit and Report]

• How will AI agents change purchasing?
  The next-generation shopping journey discussed by e.l.f. Beauty and others under "Agentic Commerce"

• New trends in marketing: AEO / GEO
  Product information strategies in the era of AI answer engines and generative AI search

• The evolution of retail media
  Marketing that fuses AI and data as envisioned by OpenAI × Sephora

• The fusion of stores and data
  The discovery-type shopping experience practiced by Lowe's

• Brand strategy in the AI era
  The growth model of "Think Global, Act Local" as described by New Balance

◎Notes for participation

• Please note that the content of this report session is subject to change without notice. Thank you for your understanding. Applications from competitors of the speakers and sponsoring companies, as well as vendor companies, are not accepted. Depending on circumstances, we may cancel your application. Thank you for your understanding.

• Advance reservation is required.

• Those who apply to participate in this event will be deemed to have agreed to the handling of personal information by the co-hosting companies and to Lazuli Inc.'s privacy policy. (This includes disclosure of personal information between the co-hosting companies and Lazuli Inc. for each company's marketing purposes.) Please be sure to review the privacy policy below. The privacy policy may also be updated or added to.https://corporate.lazuli.ninja/privacy-policy/