Top Retail Events Shaping 2026

Retail continues to evolve as we move into 2026.

As customer expectations rise and retail continues to change across both stores and digital channels, staying connected with the broader retail community remains essential.

One of the most effective ways to do that is by attending industry conferences. Retail events bring together professionals from across the ecosystem to share ideas, learn from peers and stay informed about emerging trends, technologies and operating models.

To help you plan the year ahead, we’ve curated a list of key retail and eCommerce conferences taking place in 2026 across the US, Canada, Europe and beyond. These events offer opportunities to network with industry leaders, explore new approaches and gain perspective that informs planning across the year.

Top Conferences Where Retail Leaders Gather in 2026

1. NRF: Retail’s Big Show

New York, USA

Taking place from January 11-13, 2026, NRF remains the largest gathering in retail and a reliable pulse check on where the industry is heading. The 2026 edition reflects how retail continues to rebalance across stores, digital channels and supply chains, with sessions spanning buyer behavior, store operations and emerging technologies.

With more than 175 sessions and over 1,000 exhibitors, NRF blends high-level perspective with hands-on exposure through store tours and focused innovation zones. The agenda also includes speakers from outside traditional retail, adding perspective on how brands compete and stay relevant.

2. Shoptalk Luxe

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Held from January 27-29, 2026, Shoptalk Luxe is a new, invitation-driven event focused on premium and luxury retail. Hosted at the Emirates Palace, it brings together senior leaders to discuss how luxury brands are responding to changing customer expectations, global expansion and evolving channel strategies.

The agenda is built around case studies and closed-door discussions, with speakers such as Vera Wang, Daniel Grieder of Hugo Boss and Alexis Mourot of Christian Louboutin. It’s especially useful for brands balancing growth with the expectations that come with premium customer expectations.

3. Worldwide Show Spring

Reno, USA

Taking place February 3-5, 2026, Worldwide Show Spring is a three-day buying event designed for independent and specialty retailers preparing for the fall and winter selling seasons. Hosted at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, the show focuses on category-specific sourcing rather than broad retail strategy.

The event brings retailers together with manufacturers across sporting goods, outdoor equipment and seasonal apparel and footwear. Its primary value lies in inventory selection, vendor relationships and margin planning, making it most relevant for retailers focused on assortment decisions and preseason buying.

4. eTail Palm Springs

Palm Springs, USA

Running from February 23-26, 2026, eTail Palm Springs is a four-day conference for retail and eCommerce leaders focused on growth, customer engagement and profitability. The agenda looks at how brands are adjusting acquisition, loyalty and personalization strategies as customer behavior shifts across stores and digital channels.

The event favors long-form discussion over quick presentations, with formats like think tanks and small-group roundtables where retailers share what they’re doing in practice. Attendees typically include senior leaders from brands such as Goop, Stitch Fix, Patagonia and Ipsy, along with technology partners supporting eCommerce and marketing teams.

5. LIVE 2026: Retail Week x The Grocer

London, UK

Held on March 3, 2026, Live 2026 is a one-day conference built around talks, panels and discussion on retail and grocery transformation. Curated by Retail Week and The Grocer, it brings together senior leaders from brands like ASOS, IKEA, Decathlon and Sephora. Sessions center on operational decision-making and near-term priorities, with networking built directly into the experience to encourage focused conversations and easy follow-up.

6. Shoptalk Spring

Las Vegas, USA

Scheduled for March 24-26, 2026, Shoptalk Spring remains one of the largest global gatherings for retail and eCommerce leaders. The agenda reflects how teams are approaching growth across stores and digital channels, with sessions covering merchandising, customer experience and the changing role of physical retail.

With more than 10,000 attendees and speakers from brands such as Macy’s, Anthropologie, TikTok and Papa Johns, the event combines scale with structure through curated meetups and pre-arranged meetings that help participants connect around specific priorities.

7. eTail Toronto

Toronto, Canada

Running from May 4-5, 2026, eTail Toronto focuses on the realities of the Canadian retail market. The agenda reflects the pressures retailers are managing today, from changing customer expectations to inventory agility and spend efficiency. Sessions feature examples from Canadian brands such as Sleep Country Canada and Mejuri, supported by structured peer networking designed to encourage honest, experience-led discussion.

8. Pulse eCom. Summit

London, UK

Taking place May 13-14, 2026, Pulse eCom. Summit brings together ambitious high-growth retailers and brands across eCommerce innovation, technology and performance marketing. Organized by Vervaunt, the event is known for its high-energy, community-driven atmosphere and focus on brand-scaling strategies, drawing hundreds of industry professionals from across the fashion, beauty and lifestyle sectors.

9. The Lead Summit

New York City, USA

Taking place May 20-21, 2026, The Lead Summit is a New York–based conference bringing together more than 2,500 leaders to discuss how brands, retailers and technology teams are adapting their operating models across direct-to-consumer, digital commerce and marketing.

The agenda features executive-led sessions and one-to-one meetings, with speakers from brands such as Macy’s and H&M sharing how they’re responding to changing customer expectations and channel strategies.

10. RCC Store Conference

Toronto, Canada

Taking place June 2-3, 2026, the RCC STORE Conference is a two-day event focused on the priorities shaping Canadian retail. Organized by the Retail Council of Canada, it brings together more than 2,000 retailers, brand leaders and suppliers to discuss how teams are responding to changes in consumer behavior, supply chain pressures and workforce dynamics.

The agenda covers topics such as the use of artificial intelligence in retail, evolving customer expectations and building resilience across operations. Alongside conference sessions, the event also hosts the Excellence in Retailing Awards, making it a central gathering point for both discussion and recognition within the Canadian retail community.

11. Retail Innovation Conference & Expo

Chicago, USA

The Retail Innovation Conference & Expo (RICE) is a long-running U.S. retail event focused on how technology, store design and marketing are applied across modern retail operations. The conference brings together retail executives and brand leaders to discuss how new tools and operating models support omnichannel execution.

The agenda covers areas such as in-store experience, digital commerce, artificial intelligence and sustainability, with sessions grounded in examples from large retail organizations. Past speakers have included leaders from brands such as Macy’s, Kohl’s, Walmart, Starbucks, Ulta and Best Buy.

12. NRF Protect

Dallas, USA

Taking place on June 8-10, 2026, NRF Protect brings together leaders in retail loss prevention, asset protection and cyber security across both physical and digital retail environments. Organized by the National Retail Federation, the event is known for being the only industry gathering that unites all enterprise security risk management functions, drawing thousands of security experts and retail leaders from across the global retail ecosystem.

13. CommerceNext Growth Show

New York City, USA

Held from June 23-24, 2026, the CommerceNext Growth Show brings together retail and direct-to-consumer leaders focused on eCommerce growth, digital marketing and the technology supporting both. The event attracts more than 2,700 executives, with a strong representation of senior decision-makers from retail brands.

The agenda centers on practical approaches to customer acquisition, retention, loyalty and personalization, with sessions grounded in case studies rather than theory. Speakers from brands such as Walmart, Sephora and Home Depot focus on how teams drive and measure eCommerce and marketing performance.

14. RetailNOW

Las Vegas, USA

Running July 26-28, 2026, RetailNOW is an annual conference organized by the Retail Solutions Providers Association and focused on the retail IT channel. The event consistently draws more than 1,600 attendees, including point-of-sale vendors, payments providers, software developers and resellers working across retail, grocery, restaurant and specialty verticals.

The agenda covers areas such as POS platforms, payments, cybersecurity and emerging in-store technologies, with a strong emphasis on relationship-building across the reseller and vendor ecosystem. RetailNOW is best suited for teams building, selling, or supporting retail technology.

15. eTail Boston

Boston, USA

Held from August 10-12, 2026, eTail Boston, often referred to as eTail East, brings together senior retail and eCommerce leaders focused on making stores and eCommerce work together day to day. The event consistently attracts operators responsible for customer experience, digital commerce and store integration. Sessions focus on decision-making, from personalization and marketing effectiveness to inventory and fulfillment coordination across channels.

16. FUTR North America

New York City, USA

FUTR North America is a conference for senior leaders across retail, marketing and eCommerce. It brings together a curated group of brand and direct-to-consumer executives to discuss how customer experience, data and technology are influencing retail decisions.

The agenda spans topics such as retail media, in-store innovation, sustainability and emerging technologies, with structured one-to-one meetings built into the format. FUTR is best suited for leaders using the event to inform future planning as customer expectations, channels and operating models continue to change.

17. Shoptalk Fall

Nashville, USA

Running from September 29-October 1, 2026, Shoptalk Fall serves as a more focused counterpart to the Spring edition, bringing together senior retail leaders, brands and technology providers for structured discussion and planned meetings. The event is designed to support deeper conversations than large-scale expos, with an emphasis on how retail organizations are operating and evolving.

The agenda spans areas such as merchandising, payments, customer experience and operational execution across digital and physical channels. Rather than relying on informal networking, Shoptalk Fall builds in scheduled meetings and smaller group sessions, making it easier for teams to discuss specific challenges and compare approaches with peers.

18. SuiteWorld

Las Vegas, USA

Taking place October 26-29, 2026, SuiteWorld brings together the global community of NetSuite users, partners and developers across cloud ERP, finance and business operations. Organized by Oracle NetSuite, the event is known for its deep-dive technical sessions around ERP and integration systems and major product innovation announcements, drawing more than 10,000 attendees from across the cloud technology and business management landscape.

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You’ll find the HotWax Commerce team at several of these events in 2026, spending time with retailers focused on order routing, store fulfillment, store inventory management and omnichannel execution. Happy to connect while we’re there.