NRF 2026 once again proved why it remains the most important meeting place for the global retail industry. From packed keynote sessions to hands‑on conversations on the show floor, one thing was clear: retailers are no longer chasing shiny new concepts – they are focused on making things work better, faster, and more relevant for their customers.
As a retail‑born company building digital loyalty and promotions, these conversations resonate deeply with us. Here are the key highlights our team is bringing home from New York – and why they matter for retailers heading into 2026.
Fast, Seamless and Personalised Loyalty Is No Longer Optional
Customer expectations have officially moved from “nice to have” to table stakes. Across NRF, retailers consistently emphasizsed the need for loyalty experiences that are:
- Fast – instant recognition, instant rewards, no waiting
- Seamless – frictionless across app, web, in‑store and POS
- Personalised – relevant to the individual, not the average customer
Shoppers no longer think in channels, programmes or platforms – they think in moments. Loyalty must fit naturally into the shopping journey, rewarding behaviour in real time and across touchpoints. Retailers that still rely on delayed rewards, static tiers or generic offers risk falling behind competitors who treat loyalty as a living, responsive experience.
In 2026, loyalty isn’t just about retention. It’s about relevance.
Retailers Are Sitting on a Goldmine of Data – Now It’s Time to Use It
Another recurring theme was data maturity. Retailers are not lacking data – quite the opposite. Transaction data, behavioural signals, campaign interactions, game participation, partner engagement and app usage are all readily available.
The real challenge lies in activating that data.
Retailers that succeed in 2026 will be the ones that move from storing data to using it continuously to:
- Build deeper personalisation
- Create meaningful value for individual customers
- Adapt offers, rewards and challenges dynamically
Data‑driven loyalty isn’t about complexity. It’s about turning insight into action – at speed. When customer data fuels everything from personalised offers to tailored challenges and rewards, loyalty becomes more engaging, more valuable, and ultimately more profitable.
Personalisation Is the Differentiator – When It’s Done Right
If there was one word heard everywhere at NRF, it was personalisation. But the most interesting conversations weren’t about whether to personalise – they were about how to do it properly.
Retailers are increasingly looking to personalise:
- Offers and promotions
- Games and gamified experiences
- Rewards and benefits
- Challenges and continuity mechanics
Done right, personalisation increases engagement, basket size and loyalty participation. Done poorly, it becomes noise.
The difference lies in relevance. Personalisation must feel helpful, not intrusive – and it must be flexible enough to evolve with changing customer behaviour. The most forward‑thinking retailers see personalisation as a continuous optimisation loop, not a one‑off campaign setup.
Power to the Marketers – Not Bottlenecked by IT or Data Teams
One of the strongest signals from NRF 2026 was organisational, not technical.
Retailers want to put the power into the hands of marketers.
Marketing teams are under pressure to move faster, test more, and respond instantly to customer behaviour. Relying on IT, BI or data teams for every segmentation change, campaign tweak or loyalty update simply doesn’t scale.
The retailers leading the way are investing in platforms that allow marketers to:
- Build and launch campaigns independently
- Segment audiences without technical dependencies
- Orchestrate personalised journeys end‑to‑end
- Optimise loyalty mechanics in real time
Empowering marketers doesn’t remove the need for IT – it removes the bottleneck. And that speed is becoming a decisive competitive advantage.
AI Fatigue Is Real – Outcomes Matter More Than Buzzwords
Yes, AI was everywhere at NRF. And yes – many people are tired of hearing about it.
Retailers are no longer impressed by AI for AI’s sake. What they want are clear outcomes:
- Does it improve personalisation?
- Does it save time for teams?
- Does it drive measurable growth?
The conversation is shifting from what AI can do to what value it actually delivers. The winners in 2026 won’t be the retailers with the loudest AI story – but the ones quietly using AI to enhance relevance, efficiency and customer experience behind the scenes.
Looking Ahead to 2026
NRF 2026 reinforced a simple truth: the future of retail loyalty and promotions is not about more features – it’s about better execution.
Fast, seamless experiences. Smarter use of data. Meaningful personalisation. Empowered marketing teams. And technology that delivers real outcomes, not empty promises.
That direction aligns closely with how we build at Lobyco – creating loyalty experiences that customers genuinely value.
We’re excited to turn these insights into action in the year ahead.
