January 22, 2026
If NRF 2024 was about the promise of Generative AI, and 2025 was about figuring out where it fits, NRF 2026 has been defined by one clear message: it’s time for AI to get to work.
The buzzword of the show wasn’t just “AI” it was agentic AI. We are moving past chatbots that simply answer questions to intelligent agents that actively do things. But for us at x‑hoppers, the most exciting shift isn’t happening on a server farm; it’s happening right on the shop floor.
Here are my top takeaways from the Big Show and what they mean for the future of retail operations.
The headset as the new "command center"
One of the most frequent conversations we had this week was with retailers looking to untether their teams. For years, “task management” has been synonymous with “looking at a screen” whether that’s a tablet in the back office or a smartphone in a pocket.
At NRF 2026, the tide turned. We heard from numerous retailers who are actively looking to move notifications off screens and into headsets.
Why? Because in a high-touch environment, looking down at a phone breaks the connection with the customer. x‑hoppers is at the forefront of this shift with our smart notification queues. We are turning the headset into a real-time command center, allowing associates to receive tasks, updates and alerts without ever losing eye contact with the shopper in front of them.
Bridging the gap: POS talking to headsets
The “headset revolution” isn’t just about team chatter; it’s about machines talking to people. A standout use case we discussed with retailers was the integration between Point of Sale (POS) systems and store associates.
Retailers are now demanding that their POS systems “speak” directly to staff. We saw live interest in immediate audio notifications for:
- "Challenge 25" and age verification: Instead of a cashier waving a hand or ringing a bell for a supervisor, the POS instantly notifies a manager via headset that authorization is needed.
- Self-checkout alerts: "Unexpected item in the bagging area" doesn't just have to annoy the customer; it can discreetly alert the nearest floating associate to intervene before frustration sets in.
This is the kind of friction-removal that x‑hoppers specializes in — turning a static error message into an immediate human resolution.
The rise of the "universal" agent
The technical highlight of the show was undoubtedly the maturity of agentic AI systems designed to hand off tasks to one another. We saw the launch of new standards like the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) and Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, which are designed to let different AI agents “talk” to each other to complete full end-to-end workflows.
This interoperability is exactly where x‑hoppers shines. We aren’t just a communication tool; we are the connective tissue between these agents.
Imagine a smart fridge sensor detecting a temperature spike. Instead of just logging an error code, an AI agent instantly raises a maintenance ticket on the associate’s behalf. Simultaneously, x‑hoppers alerts the floor staff via headset, informing them of the ticket and proactively asking, “Do you want to speak with the facilities department now?” This links IoT sensors, ticketing platforms and voice communication into a single, seamless workflow.
The investment reality
If you think this is just hype, the numbers disagree. During a standout session, Fiona Tan, CTO of Wayfair, highlighted a statistic that stopped everyone in their tracks:
47% of retail and CPG executives report allocating over 50% of their future AI budget to AI agents.
This isn’t an experiment anymore; it is a massive reallocation of resources. Companies are betting the house that AI agents will drive the next wave of efficiency.
The horizontal layer
Ultimately, NRF 2026 proved that AI is no longer a vertical “tool” you buy for one department. It is a horizontal layer that sits across every single process. From hiring and onboarding to stock management and associate empowerment.
However, as we saw in multiple sessions, this power comes with a prerequisite: clean data. For these agents to work, the foundation they sit on must be solid. Companies are spending massive efforts ensuring their data sets are clean and accessible, because an AI agent is only as good as the data it can “see.”
At x-hoppers, we are proud to be the voice of this new intelligence, ensuring that when the AI speaks, your team is ready to listen and act.
Did you see x‑hoppers at NRF 2026? Let’s talk about how agentic AI can transform your store operations.
