Apparel and active sports retailers at NRF 2026 were overwhelmingly focused on using AI and connected technologies to hard-wire better decisions from product creation through to the store floor, while making stores more immersive and “athlete-centric.”

Historically, apparel retailers have been slow to adopt new technology, questioning its value.  Now technology is seen as a survival tactic as the retail landscape – from supply chains to selling floors – has become increasingly complex.