As the countdown to National Retail Federation‘s (NRF) Big Show in New York approaches, we round up our top ten tech picks of the innovation you won’t want to miss on Expo Floor, Level 1.

Taking place between 11 – 13 Jan 2026 in NYC’s Javits Centre, NRF’s 2026 theme is “Next Now”, showcasing the role of the trade event in connecting retailers with the future-proof solutions needed to transform their operations.

With a mind-boggling amount of tech on display across 1,000+ solution providers, we’ll also be sharing our innovation highlights with unmissable tech picks from Expo Floor, Level 3 next week, so check back for more!

Focal Systems

Booth #1936

Focal Systems will be showcasing it AI-powered shelf-edge cameras at NRF. As well as helping retailers improve product availability – continuously monitoring stock levels, automating replenishment and alerting staff to stock gaps – the AI cameras also support Loss Prevention, monitoring for theft.

The UK’s fifth largest supermarket, Morrisons, recently deployed 200k of Focal Systems‘ AI shelf cams across 498 UK stores to enable faster stocking, reduce food waste and enhance labour efficiencies.

Scanning Morrisons’ shelves hourly, the solution, which is trained on over 2.5billion labelled images from global retailers around the world, identifies restock events to improve product availability and stock accuracy.

Nextail

Booth #2661

Fashion-focused inventory solution, Nextail, empowers brands like Mountain Warehouse, White Stuff, Hackett London and River Island, to match merchandise planning and execution decisions with demand to reduce overbuys, overstocks and markdowns.

It now automates more than 1billion merchandising decisions per season, optimising SKU-level performance across individual locations. “Nextail was built to help fashion retailers move faster and smarter when it comes to inventory decisions,” said Carlos Miragall, CEO of Nextail.

It will also be offering fashion retailers a free inventory audit on its booth, helping brands discover actionable strategies for optimising operations and merchandising, which can booked in advance.

Orquest

Booth #2834

Powered by AI, Orquest’s in-store workforce scheduling solution and smart planning capabilities simplify store and HR management processes.  It enhances operational efficiencies, fosters frontline team wellbeing and delivers optimised customer experiences.

Orquest picked up the RTS Innovation Award back in 2024, having impressed the judges with its ability to improve staff collaboration and empower frontline teams.

“We’ve long believed in the power of empowering retail workforces though AI,” said Pilar di Prisco, Key Account Manager UK at Orquest. “Retailers recognise that an empowered workforce enhances employee wellbeing and productivity [while driving] operational effectiveness.”

Proximity

Booth #2338

Clienteling platform, Proximity, which works with brands including Max Mara, Joseph, Paul Smith and Farrow & Ball, will be highlighting its all-in-one solution taht allows in-store team to enhance CX, drive conversions and grow loyalty.

Key for 2026 will be its latest Gen AI-powered feature, Message Maestro. This helps store staff deliver on-brand, personalised interactions, enhancing customer relationships by harnessing the power of AI insight without compromising on the human touch.

Message Maestro analyses tone, sentiment and intent. It then overlays this with insights drawn from the solutions’ single view of the shopper, such as preferences and purchase history, to craft messages that feel genuinely personal for each customer.

Retail Insight

Booth #1853

Store-focused retail analytics solution, Retail Insight, transforms real-time data into actionable insights that helps some of the world’s largest grocers reduce waste, improve inventory accuracy, optimise availability and boost margin. It now processes over 10% of the world’s retail data daily, which enables its customers to optimise execution and drive sales.

Last year, Retail Insight worked with big four supermarket, Asda, to remove 1.6million units of phantom inventory using its InventoryInsight solution, drawing foundational store data from across Asda’s estate to improve stock accuracy and product availability.

As well as working with a raft of regional Co-ops, including Central Co-op, using AI to reduce food waste, Retail Insight expanded its work beyond grocery sector for the first time in 2025. In September, it announced a partnership with value retailer Home Bargains to automate markdowns across 600 UK stores.

Shipstation

Booth #2624

The fulfilment engine behind over 1million businesses, ShipStation‘s global carrier network supports retailers growth strategies, reducing shipping errors, creating efficiencies through advanced automation and improving delivery experiences for shoppers.

Earlier this month, Gumtree announced a multi-year partnership with ShipStation, which will see the online marketplace integrate delivery functionality to allow sellers to easily ship products directly via its website. 

TruRating

Booth #2229

POS feedback solution, TruRating, allows retailers to leverage feedback from everyday customers, collected at scale and in the moment, to improve operational performance and enhance CX to boost sales and loyalty.

TruRating says it now has one of the industry’s most representative customer data sets, collecting more than 1billion insights from shoppers worldwide via its POS feedback platform.

At NRF, it will also be showcasing its new partnership with Zipline, which uses TruRating’s insights to bring the voice of the customer directly into daily retail operations.

“Retail leaders are hungry for direction that drives results,” said Georgina Nelson, CEO & Founder of TruRating. “By bringing real-time customer insight into Zipline, we’re giving managers a simple, focused view of what’s working – and where to act.”

Valtech

Booth #2146

Valtech will be hero-ing its AI-powered shopping experience, Valtech Concierge, a “conversational layer” that enhances commerce experiences. Bringing “human-like guidance” to customers’ shopping journeys, it powers AI personalisation that feels human and scales effectively.

Away from the expo floor, Valtech will partner with Shopify to showcase new immersive retail experiences at 113 Spring, which it describes as “a curated space where technology meets tranquillity.”

Focused on bringing connected commerce to life, it will offer as a series of experiential activations as well as a two-hour networking event to celebrate the start of NRF on Sat 10 Jan 2025.

VoCoVo

Booth #2207

Store communication solution, VoCoVo, will spotlight how its headsets integrate with smart-store ecosystems, including live demos with Frog/Capgemini, where the wearables connect with digital assistants.

With 68% of UK shoppers now demanding better protection for retail staff amid rising levels of retail theft, crime and abuse against frontline workers, earlier this year, Currys deployed VoCoVo’s headsets across all its UK&I stores.

The move was part of its largest ever annual investment in store safety and security. The headsets play a key role in allowing store staff to stay connected, helping them feel safer on the shop floor.

x-hoppers

Booth #2219

x-hoppers will be showcasing its smart retail communications solution, which connects retail’s frontline teams, empowering them to learn on the job, respond faster and deliver consistent CX across store networks.

It will also highlight its agentic AI solution embedded in a wireless headset, which gives retail staff the ability to report issues and instantly access information without leaving the shop floor.

Currently being trialled by UK supermarket chain Heron Foods in 25 stores, the agentic AI listens, interprets intent and takes action based on spoken requests. From flagging restocks to reporting thefts or personalised promotions, it allows colleagues to complete tasks directly through their headsets without screens or manual escalations.