How will retailers remain visible when consumers turn to AI assistants to carry out their searches? What if consumers no longer used Google to shop? What if AI agents negotiated on behalf of buyers? What if stores also became media channels? These questions will be at the heart of the sixth edition of Tech for Retail, taking place on 30 November and 1 December 2026 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. More than 15,000 visitors are expected to attend, with over 200 conferences and 450 exhibitors – a new record for the show.
This year, the show’s Main Stage will welcome leading business figures, including Alexandre Bompard, Chairman and CEO of Carrefour, who will deliver the opening keynote.
Will we still shop in the same way tomorrow?
One of the key questions this year is whether AI assistants could become the new intermediaries between consumers and brands.
With the development of large language models (LLMs) and agentic commerce, the shopping journey could change profoundly. In the future, consumers may ask an assistant to compare products, select an offer and potentially complete a purchase.
For retailers, the implications are significant: how can they be recommended by AI? How can they maintain their brand visibility? Several conferences will explore these challenges:
● Monday 30 November, 1:15–2:00 pm: “LLMs & commerce: towards a world without search engines?”
● Tuesday 1 December, 3:50–4:35 pm: “AI-powered commerce: why is product data becoming the key driver of trust?”
● Tuesday 1 December, 2:40–3:10 pm: Accenture x Anthropic conference on the challenges of artificial intelligence.
Beyond consumers, AI is transforming the way businesses operate
Until now, retail innovation has often been presented through the lens of customer experience. But an equally significant transformation is taking place within businesses. Procurement, negotiations, team organisation, support functions, forecasting and logistics: AI is beginning to shape roles and processes that have largely been managed by people until now.
Conferences exploring these changes include:
● Monday 30 November, 5:35–6:20 pm: “Productivity, organisation, talent: how AI is transforming head offices”
● Tuesday 1 December, 9:40–10:25 am: “AI-enhanced procurement: when AI negotiates (almost) on your behalf”
● Tuesday 1 December, 1:50–2:35 pm: “Autonomous supply chains: myth or revolution in the making?”
For Karen Serfaty, co-founder of Tech for Retail, the sector is reaching a turning point: “For years, retailers have used technology to improve performance and customer experience. Today, artificial intelligence is taking us into a new dimension. The very rules of commerce could change: how consumers discover products, how businesses make decisions and how brands build relationships with their customers. The question is no longer which technologies will transform retail, but how quickly they will be adopted and who will know how to turn them into a genuine competitive advantage. This is precisely what we want to unpack at Tech for Retail.”
Luxury, resale and retail media: business models put to the test
Beyond artificial intelligence, retailers must also respond to changing consumer expectations and the emergence of new business models. In the luxury sector, technology is transforming distribution strategies, customer insights and the experiences brands offer.
In the resale market, it is helping develop new channels for consumption and resale.
Retail media, now an important monetisation lever for many retailers, raises another question: how much further can this market grow?
Highlights include:
● Monday 30 November, 11:15–11:30 am: “Vestiaire Collective: a new era for pre- owned fashion”, with Bernard Osta, CEO of Vestiaire Collective.
● Monday 30 November, 12:25–1:10 pm: “Reinventing luxury through technology”, with Pascale Miguet, Nathalie Cabut and Elise Ducret.
● Tuesday 1 December, 10:50–11:35 am: “Retail media: the next gold rush… but for how long?”
The physical store still has a future
As digital channels grow and shopping journeys evolve, physical stores are also continuing to reinvent themselves. They are becoming places for experiences and services, points of contact with brands and, increasingly, communication and retail media channels.
But this transformation must solve a complex equation: improving customer experience while controlling costs, energy consumption and profitability.
These challenges will be addressed in the following conferences:
● Tuesday 1 December, 12:40–1:25 pm: “The augmented store: balancing retail media and energy efficiency”
● Monday 30 November, 3:30–4:15 pm: “From regulatory constraint to competitive advantage: CSR takes on a new role”
The leaders shaping European retail gather in Paris
This year’s edition will feature leaders from major retailers, international brands and technology companies.
The Main Stage will welcome, among others:
Monday 30 November:
● Alexandre Bompard, Chairman and CEO of Carrefour, delivering the opening keynote.
● Delphine Viguier-Hovasse, Chief Innovation & Prospective Officer at L’Oréal.
● Vincent Luciani, CEO and co-founder of Artefact.
● Bernard Osta, CEO of Vestiaire Collective.
The European perspective will also take centre stage with Martín Tolcachir, CEO of Grupo DIA; Fredy El Hakim, IT Procurement Manager at Mercadona; and Nacho Gonzalez Hernandez, CEO and member of the board of AECOC. They will discuss which technologies can move from experimentation to large-scale deployment.
Tuesday 1 December:
● Mikko Kärkkäinen, CEO and co-founder of RELEX Solutions.
● Nadine Graf, President, Europe, UK & Ireland and Emerging Markets at The Estée
Lauder Companies.
● Michelle Lamberti, Chief Omnicommerce Officer at ADEO.
● Sylvain Munnier, Managing Director, France and Iberia, at LEGO.
● Franck Le Moal, Information Technology Director at LVMH.
More than 200 conferences turning trends into practical applications
Alongside the Main Stage’s headline talks, Tech for Retail will offer conferences and workshops organised by exhibitors, giving visitors the opportunity to explore the technology solutions, use cases and real-world feedback already transforming the sector.
Retail Tours, guided tours of the show, will also give visitors the opportunity to discover a selection of innovations tailored to their challenges. This year, a new tour dedicated to the beauty sector will expand the programme.
Further information
● Main Stage conferences: https://www.techforretail.com/en/sessions
● Exhibitor conferences and workshops:
https://www.techforretail.com/en/content/program
● Retail Tours: https://www.techforretail.com/en/content/retail-tours
Event information
Tech for Retail – 6th edition
● Dates: 30 November and 1 December 2026
● Venue: Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Hall 7.2
● Expected attendance: more than 15,000 visitors
