{"id":13967,"date":"2026-01-28T09:44:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T08:44:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optimalways.com\/2026\/01\/back-from-nrf-lille-2026-ucp-ushers-in-the-age-of-agentic-commerce\/"},"modified":"2026-01-26T09:44:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T08:44:47","slug":"back-from-nrf-lille-2026-ucp-ushers-in-the-age-of-agentic-commerce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.optimalways.com\/en\/2026\/01\/back-from-nrf-lille-2026-ucp-ushers-in-the-age-of-agentic-commerce\/","title":{"rendered":"Back from NRF Lille 2026: UCP ushers in the age of agentic commerce"},"content":{"rendered":"

On January 20, 2026<\/strong>, the traditional Back from NRF<\/strong> was back with a completely revamped format<\/strong>. New organization team led by the bubbly Ilana Mahrouch<\/a>, new speakers, and an evolution towards an afterwork<\/strong> format, extended by a VIP dinner<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

One constant, however, was the loyal presence of Michel Koch<\/a>, a veteran of distance selling, e-commerce and retail, who is as passionate as ever when it comes to sharing his discoveries from across the Atlantic. This year’s event was co-hosted in French and English<\/strong> by Ian Jindal<\/a> of RetailX<\/a>, a recognized British expert who brings an international and very concrete reading of trends. <\/p>\n

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The event brought together over 70 participants<\/strong> in Wasquehal<\/strong>, in the heart of the Lille metropolitan area<\/strong>, in the inspiring setting of the Maison des Bienheureux<\/strong><\/a> a manor house dating from 1925<\/strong>, former headquarters of La Redoute<\/strong> and then Promod<\/strong>, now a hybrid of boutique-hotel, cocktail bar, wine cellar and tea room.<\/p>\n

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\ud83d\udcca NRF 2026: the scale of the event<\/h2>\n

Before going into the background, a reminder of scale is in order. NRF 2026 represents 40,000 retail professionals<\/strong> and 6,000 brands<\/strong>, with a strong international dimension. The profiles present cover the entire value chain: management, operational teams, IT, digital, supply chain, merchandising. <\/p>\n

This diversity is what makes the event so rich… but also so dense: three very intense days<\/strong>, which you need to prepare to get the maximum value out of.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udf0d Market & outlook: growth, but under pressure<\/h2>\n

Shared projections remain positive: global e-commerce is targeting $8,148 trillion in 2026<\/strong>, with an estimated growth trajectory of around +4% per year<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

But the NRF also reminds us of a reality that is sometimes underestimated: the store remains at the heart of the reactor<\/strong>. Worldwide, 76% of sales<\/strong> are still made in physical stores<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

\ud83e\udde0 Consumer trends: what US figures say<\/h2>\n

Several strong signals stand out on the U.S. side:<\/p>\n