We define the Store of the Future as a future-ready retail environment that leverages technology and integrates data across business functions and channels. The aim is to deliver seamless, personalized shopper experiences while simultaneously optimizing store operations and employee performance. The ultimate goal is to unlock performance through innovation.   

The four core pillars

Unified Commerce

Gen Z is rewriting the rules of holiday shopping. Deloitte projected that Gen Z’s 2025 holiday spending would drop 34% from the previous year, with an emphasis on budgeting and deal-hunting. And while the numbers are still coming in, the mandate for retail leaders is clear: adapt to Gen Z’s evolving preferences or miss out on a powerful consumer base.

There’s no doubt Gen Zers navigated this holiday shopping season with a sharp eye on value. But they were also far from tuned out. Despite a more conservative consumer approach, this generation is the age group most optimistic about their financial outlook heading into the New Year.

AI technology is constantly evolving, and it’s up to retail brands to keep up. According to Adobe, more than half of consumers are expected to use AI shopping assistants by year’s end. This new special report, The Next Era of AI, shows how brands can harness consumer, associate, and workforce-facing technology, including agentic AI, to streamline operations, empower teams and meet rising customer expectations.

For years, headlines foretold the demise of brick-and-mortar retail. As e-commerce boomed and digital convenience reshaped consumer behavior, many predicted physical stores would fade into irrelevance. However, today’s flagship locations tell a different story. Shoppers, especially digital natives like Gen Z, are showing up in person for immersive brand experiences, hands-on product demos, and personalized services like Apple’s Genius Bar.

A shift is underway in retail — redefining how products are discovered, experiences delivered, and value created. In a landscape shaped by rising customer expectations and rapid technology adoption, loyalty is earned through personalized, seamless journeys that anticipate needs, remove friction, and deliver relevance at every touchpoint.

This report presents ten strategic insights into how retail brands are adapting. The themes are clear: AI is accelerating change, mobile-first engagement is now standard, and personalization — still concentrated post-purchase — must extend across the entire journey. Generative AI is reshaping content economics, third-party narratives influence purchases, and governance gaps persist in AI use.

The Global Payments 2026 Commerce and Payment Trends Report is here—your guide to the next era of connected commerce. As consumers embrace new technologies and demand experiences that move seamlessly across channels, this report helps business leaders meet them there.

This report focuses on six key trends reshaping the future of commerce. From the rise of agentic commerce, where AI-powered systems anticipate and act on customer intent, to the evolution of point-of-sale (POS) technologies that extend beyond the countertop, and the expansion of embedded payments that make every interaction frictionless—these shifts are defining the next competitive edge.

The global pandemic at the start of the decade reshaped consumer behavior, driving a surge in digital connectivity and dependence. Online shopping didn’t just grow; it became the norm. Today, about 59 percent of consumers prefer to shop online, where they’re met with tailored product recommendations, curated promotions, and predictive reminders to restock their favorites.

To bring these consumers back into physical stores, retailers must now deliver a similarly personalized experience. Shoppers’ tolerance for friction and inconvenience continues to decline, while their expectations for speed and service rise. The challenge: How can retailers offer individualized experiences in-store? Advances in artificial intelligence and data analytics are making real-time personalization possible, empowering retailers to meet modern expectations and create truly differentiated shopping experiences.

Which retail trends are set to define 2026? Using location intelligence, we explore the shifting patterns that could shape the retail landscape in the year ahead. In 2026, adaptability will be retailers’ greatest competitive edge. The next era of retail will belong to brands that can continue to refine their operating strategy – while staying true to a clear brand identity.