The digital transformation of retail in 2026 will boil down to one critical point: product discovery. It is no longer just a feature, it is becoming the core infrastructure that powers every customer interaction and operational decision. Discovery is now the engine of growth, writes Andra Muntean, Senior Marketing Manager EMEA at Athos Commerce.

The new competitive battleground is the gap between what shoppers want and what retailers deliver, according to Muntean, and discovery offers a solution. That means in 2026 retailers will need to shift their focus from optimising search to building an integrated “Discovery as a Core System.”

Building a unified data foundation

The most critical priority for 2026 is establishing clean product data and connected systems. Core functions like search, recommendations, merchandising, content and logistics data are merging into a single system.

This signals that retailers can no longer treat discovery as a layer on top of the store; it needs to be part of the store’s core infrastructure.

Clean product data and connected systems are becoming the first real signs of operational maturity. When discovery works, everything else performs better: marketing, merchandising and fulfilment all feel aligned.

Mastering the shift to algorithmic visibility

The rise of conversational commerce, exemplified by OpenAI’s ChatGPT Shopping feature, means discovery is moving from just browsing to a retailer-shopper dialogue.

This demands a new kind of preparation: structured, accurate and enriched product information, where quality data becomes the new SEO.

Retailers will need to prepare product content not only for humans but for algorithms that interpret, match and recommend. Merchants with clean, standardised data will be the ones appearing in AI results and earning conversions.

Treating discovery as a strategic pillar

Discovery starts long before someone types into a search bar. Social feeds, video, voice and live shopping are the new entry points.

Success will depend on discovery systems that can surface the right product the moment attention strikes, whether it is a TikTok clip or a marketplace banner.

The transition between inspiration and purchase needs to be instant and seamless. To achieve this, product data must be unified across feeds, inventory systems, and creative teams.

The expectation of effortlessness

Shoppers in 2026 will not just demand to be found. They will expect product discovery to make them feel that their path to purchase is effortless, offering them a sense of inevitability in their buying jouney.

• Predictive and personal: Shoppers will feel like the store already knows what they want. AI-powered search will stop being an innovation story and start being table stakes. These tools will understand why a shopper is searching and the context behind their shopping mission
• Instant ponversion: When every piece of data, content and intent aligns, the consumers’ paths feel effortless – and that is what drives loyalty. The measure of a great brand will be how fast and confidently a customer moves from curiosity to conversion
• Dialogue, not just search: Conversational commerce has made it possible for people to describe what they want and receive curated, purchasable recommendations directly in chat. This is the clearest sign that discovery is moving from browsing to dialogue

How technology elevates shopping experiences

Technology, particularly AI, is the engine that transforms a simple search experience into a predictive, personalised and profitable journey.

• Intelligence meets intent: The shift to predictive and personal discovery will mean faster paths to conversion and higher retention for the retailer. Brands should train models on structured product data, real shopper behaviours and first-party signals. Brands that invest in those foundations will ‘own the experience’ instead of renting it from platforms
• Operational alignment: When the discovery system is integrated into the core infrastructure, retailers can use that data to improve creative, product naming, and merchandising loops. The result is not just better search, but a better store

In 2026, the best brands will treat discovery not as a function but as a strategy. This foundation is what makes moving from findable to inevitable for the shopper.