The National Retail Federation has spent decades shaping the direction of the global retail industry, acting as the world’s largest trade association for retailers of every size. It represents the industry through policy work, education, community building, and a growing global reach.
As Susan Newman, SVP of Event Strategy for the NRF, said, “The NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association. And what that means is we represent retailers on all the issues that matter to them through advocacy, lobbying on Capitol Hill, education and communities, making sure that the like-minded people with the same job responsibilities have the ability to get together throughout the year and talk about what matters most to them. And spreading our mission globally through event expansion in APAC and Europe.”
For foodservice and hospitality professionals searching for solutions to rising labor costs, tighter margins, and complex guest expectations, the NRF Retail’s Big Show has become a powerful place to learn what comes next. The show is on January 11–13, 2026 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.
The move toward tighter alignment between retail and foodservice is not accidental. Newman added, “I think the fun part is that it means that retail is alive and well, and those of us who grew up with it and love it, it’s super important that there’s still that bricks and mortar world, if you will.” That same blend of physical and digital experience now defines foodservice. Guests expect frictionless ordering, consistent fulfillment, personalized recommendations, and real time updates. Operators managing these expectations need clearer, smarter tools, and many of them debut first on the NRF show floor.
Retail’s Big Show serves as the primary gathering point for the industry worldwide, attracting both retailers and the platform providers behind the technologies shaping customer behavior. Newman noted, “It’s the one event that’s bringing retailers together from around the globe, along with solution providers that are showing the next gen iteration of technology. It’s where retailers determine what they’re investing in, what their retail operation is going to be looking like for the years to come.” For foodservice leaders looking for tools that lower labor strain, optimize inventory, strengthen digital ordering, or improve speed of service, the crossover value is immediate.
This year’s event includes high profile speakers whose insights directly apply to building success in both retail and foodservice. Attendees will hear from Marc Metrick, CEO of Saks Global; Diana Marshall, EVP, and Chief Experience Officer at Sam’s Club; Dane Mathews, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Taco Bell; Kecia Steelman, President and CEO of Ulta Beauty; Mark Barrocas, CEO of SharkNinja; and Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify. Their strategies for managing omnichannel demand and predictive operations now mirror the challenges foodservice operators face on a daily basis.
As the show evolves, the NRF has placed intense focus on improving the attendee journey. Newman detailed, “Our priority this year was about the attendee experience. Our mission was to make sure that we were improving the value of what people get when they go there, so improving the experience. We try to do that year over year. In a building where we are out of capacity, it is harder and harder to be creative and to improve the experience, but we have added lounges this year. We have amazing content this year that is bringing together younger brands, fresher brands that are on an amazing trajectory, really mixing up the kinds of retailers that you’re hearing from.” Those content tracks are deeply connected to how retail food, foodservice and hospitality brands must think about their future.
Artificial intelligence shapes nearly every corner of the event. Newman outlined, “AI is dominating, so you’re going to see on the retail floor how technologies are using AI and helping retailers completely innovate their business.” The same systems that help retailers forecast demand, sharpen staffing, and personalize the path to purchase can help operators manage labor scheduling, reduce waste, manage menus, and understand guest order patterns across digital and in person channels.
The link between foodservice needs and retail technology became even more deliberate once the Foodservice Innovation Zone launched several years ago. Rob Grimes, CEO and Founder of the International Food and Beverage Technology Association (“IFBTA”), has played a vital role in building this bridge as the Concept Partner to the NRF. As he said, “This sounds like a commercial, but I was an attendee first before we ever were partnering on anything. And that is actually what led to the whole concept of really marrying foodservice and retail together because this is the largest single technology event in our industry across hospitality, foodservice, and retail across the board globally and now duplicated over in Asia and Europe. So, it was a natural place to be.” That merging of industries is becoming more evident every year.
The change is visible throughout the market. Convenience stores now treat food programs as anchors. Retailers launch branded foodservices inside their stores. Micro markets operate around the clock in airports, hospitals, and campuses, blurring the lines between retail and foodservice. Grimes added, “What we see is there’s so much foodservice crossover, and we’re not talking about retail food like grocery store because that certainly was the early part of it when we talked about takeout foods and things like that. But its actually retailers putting foodservice in or just creating their own foodservice brands.” For foodservice leaders, NRF is a chance to see how this crossover works at scale.
The Foodservice Innovation Zone gives operators access to technologies rarely found at foodservice specific shows. Grimes noted, “There are very unique technologies that occur within foodservice. And it isn’t like you would just, you know, the best example I can use is that if you think about a convenience store, you think about gasoline pumps, and you think about retail in there. But once you put a foodservice in there, you’re dealing with order confirmation boards, self-ordering, and even drive-thru’s, which really came from foodservice.” Those capabilities now influence the expectations of every foodservice guest.
Importantly, Grimes emphasized that the NRF is not just for technologists. The show is meant for operators making decisions that impact service models, staffing, equipment, and capital spending. He detailed, “The operator is exactly the one who should be seeing this, as well as the technologist, because there’s so much crossover between the different industries.” Operators who walk the floor discover technologies and global platforms that simply are not present at other industry events. As he outlined, “You’re going to see technologies at this event that rarely appear at traditional foodservice industry shows. You’re talking about access to Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, Salesforce, SAP, Google, Shopify, and AWS at the NRF Show.”
Grimes concluded, “One thing that we’re bringing to life this year as part of the Foodservice Innovation Zone is The Pit Stop, where attendees will experience the four main points-of-service found within foodservice operations today that easily fit also into retail.” The Pit Stop is a full-scale attendee experience that showcases and brings together technologies including drive-thru, POS, online ordering, food staging, pickup, and delivery, that shape both retail and foodservice operations.
The NRF also pairs Retail’s Big Show with NRF Rev, its reverse logistics event. Newman said that reverse logistics addresses what happens to goods after purchase and focuses on returns, circularity, refurbishing, reselling, and recycling. Restaurant operators managing digital order accuracy or delivery errors will recognize the parallels in their own workflows.
Registration for Retail’s Big Show is handled primarily online, and every ticket type includes reciprocal access to NRF Rev. As Newman explained, “We make registration easy and recommend registering in advance, online. Visit the event website for details. Anyone who registers for Retail’s Big Show will get the same access to NRF Rev based on their ticket type.” With the ability to build personalized agendas using the show’s AI tools, foodservice, foodservice, and hospitality leaders can arrive ready to explore the technologies shaping the future of their business.
For foodservice operators facing cost pressure, rising guest expectations and a rapidly shifting digital world, the NRF Retail’s Big Show has become a strategic event. It offers not just retail insights, but a direct view into the technologies, platforms and operational models that are defining the next decade of hospitality. To explore it firsthand, foodservice, foodservice and hospitality professionals can register now for NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show, taking place January 11–13, 2026 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. Register at https://nrfbigshow.nrf.com, where attendees can secure Expo or All Access passes and activate the AI tools that help them plan their visit.
