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CES 2026: The new operating system for retail.

The Consumer Electronics Show and Conference (CES 2026) concluded with 4,100 exhibitors and 148,000 visitors. According to the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the global consumer technology and durable goods market will reach $1.3 trillion in 2026. The US market will break records with $565 billion (hardware $371 billion, software and services $194 billion). The faster growth of software and services compared to hardware clearly demonstrates that technology is shifting from a "purchased product" to a "continuous service."

The strongest message of CES 2026 was this: Digital transformation is now evolving into “smart transformation.” The increasing integration of artificial intelligence into daily life, the focus on long and quality life, the positioning of wearable devices as a new “personal computer,” and the rapid spread of new interfaces were the visible aspects of this transformation. In short, artificial intelligence is no longer the “future”; it is the reality of today. And the retail sector stands right in the middle of this story.

Three major themes dominated CES this year: smart transformation, long and quality life, and the smart transformation of the store. Let's examine their impact on retail within this framework.

1) Smart Transformation: Artificial intelligence is now part of the job.

According to research conducted by CTA in six countries, 63% of employees in the US use AI at work and save an average of 8.7 hours per week. This data tells me that AI is leaving the "testing ground" phase behind; it is now becoming integrated into the daily workings of organizations.

From a retail perspective, this means very clearly: the use of artificial intelligence in many processes, from inventory management and staffing to demand forecasting and customer service, will become increasingly "standard," not "extra." Moreover, this transformation will not only lead to better reporting or faster analysis; it will bring about three new waves that will transform the way decisions are made:

Action-oriented AI: Systems that not only suggest solutions but also accelerate decision-making and even take action based on specific rules. Systems that don't just suggest stock replenishment and leave it at that; systems that prepare orders when stock levels fall to critical thresholds, monitor price and campaign impacts, quickly implement new suggestions, and work more automatically with suppliers.

Sector-specific specialist models: Alongside general-purpose models, there's a growing trend towards specialized, narrow, but highly effective models tailored to retail. Areas like fresh produce management, shelf life, waste reduction, and quality alerts are prime examples.

Operational AI: Enhancing automation and decision quality in warehousing, logistics, and supply chain processes. In areas such as improved warehousing flow, route optimization, delivery planning, and increased efficiency, AI is no longer just a "game-changer," but an "indispensable" element.

At CES, as an extension of this, robotics and “physical artificial intelligence” had become a much more real business agenda. Aside from the show of humanoid robots, more “productive” service robots for stores and warehouses, autonomous systems that facilitate transportation, and solutions that speed up inventory counting were seriously on display. The idea that robots could take over “repetitive and low-value-added” tasks in retail operations, shifting employees to a role where they can dedicate more time to the customer, is gaining traction.

Another noteworthy area has been wearable devices and augmented reality solutions. The increasing comfort of smart glasses and the integration of extended reality solutions into industrial applications such as warehouse optimization and training are enabling new workflows that empower store and warehouse workers with "real-time information." We are rapidly approaching a world where employees can easily access reliable and immediate information via wearable computers; information on the precise location of products, accurate real-time stock levels, intelligent alternatives, and cross-selling suggestions.

Finally, the "platformization of devices" is a significant shift. Smart TVs, AI-powered computers, and mobile ecosystems are transforming into platforms that offer personalized experiences. This suggests that shopping from home, examining products with augmented reality, and even making decisions by "experiencing them at home" will become more commonplace.

The transformation is also accelerating on the supply chain side. Artificial intelligence and automation are directly impacting costs, quality, and sustainability in many areas, from agriculture and production to warehousing and transportation. Vertical farms, autonomous harvesting, and smart systems that increase yield will reshape the price and availability of products on our shelves. The energy transformation is also part of this picture: the shift to electricity, smart grids, renewable energy, electric fleets, and energy management are no longer just a matter of "sustainability reports," but a direct cost of operations. Energy efficiency is becoming a strategy that adds to the retail sector's profit margin.

2) Long and Quality Life: New category map

The second major theme of CES 2026 was “long and quality life.” This theme is creating new revenue streams for retail and also has the potential to disrupt existing category balances.

For example, the increasing popularity of GLP-1 based weight-loss drugs (such as Ozempic and Wegovy) could reduce demand in some categories in food retail, potentially impacting the overall basket of consumers. On the other hand, this same trend also creates new opportunities: protein-rich products, low-calorie options, portion-controlled packaging, and functional foods…

Advances in medicine and personalized health also mean an expansion of the pharmacy and health categories. Consumers are demanding nutrition and supplement recommendations tailored to their profiles. The critical question for retailers is: will we limit ourselves to just selling products, or will we offer new value through data-driven recommendations and services?

Wearable health devices are no longer a niche area. As these devices sell, the retailer's role may evolve from "shelve and sell" to "recommend, package, and build loyalty based on data." Considering this alongside smart home solutions, the picture becomes even clearer: the home is becoming a new touchpoint for shopping. A refrigerator generating a shopping list, suggesting missing items, or even automating orders could become a commonplace habit in the near future.

3) Smart Transformation of the Store: Personalized experience and empowered employees

Walmart example

One of the most striking sessions at CES 2026 was an interview with Daniel Eckert, Walmart's Director of AI Transformation, Product and Design. Eckert reports directly to the CEO and has been at Walmart for about six months. But his vision is extremely clear: within 10 years, physical stores will be as digital and personalized as the e-commerce experience.

This is a very important point. Until now, we had a distinction in our minds: digital experience = online, analog experience = in-store. What Eckert says is that stores will become so digital, so personalized, that they will offer a unique experience for each customer. Today, the promise of the online experience is precisely this: personalized for each user. But we feel that the store has to show the same thing to everyone.

Walmart wants to make the selection of products in the store so precise on an individual basis by better predicting what each customer has bought before, when they came, and when they will come again, that the goal is for the consumer to feel like they are scrolling through a personalized list in the app. This is not easy. It requires sophisticated AI algorithms that work from supplier to shelf in an extremely dynamic supply chain. But Eckert is extremely confident that they will do it.

Getting Rid of Scrolling: The Promise of Agentic Commerce

Another point Eckert made struck me greatly: "How much longer are we going to keep scrolling?"

For the past 20+ years, we've all been scrolling through screens trying to find what we're looking for. On phones, tablets, computers… We waste time filtering long product lists trying to find what we need.

But what if the app knew us so well that it eliminated this effort altogether? Walmart's Sparky chatbot attempts to do just that. The vast majority of customers start their week with the same items: milk, flour, eggs, butter, bananas… Sparky aims to allow you to add recurring items to your cart with a single click, and then only add items you need specifically for that week.

Eckert's point is very clear: We'll see far less scrolling. Sometimes the chat interface will be the best interface (you want a natural conversation if you're not sure what you're looking for). Sometimes the camera will be the best interface (you'll take a picture of your jacket and say "show me sweater options that match this"). But one thing is certain: the era of navigating endless lists is over.

Eckert's approach to agentic commerce, where AI shops for you, is very balanced. People love to shop, that's not going to change. But there's a difference between "compulsory shopping" and "enjoyable shopping."

Realizing you've run out of laundry detergent is frustrating. Buying laundry detergent isn't exciting. But would it be great if it automatically arrived at your home a few days before you ran out? That's where agentic commerce shines: basic, recurring products.

According to Eckert, in shopping experiences you enjoy (clothing, accessories, specialty items), AI support will help you find the product you're looking for, making you more active in the enjoyable part of shopping and acting as a ready-to-use sales assistant at all times. AI will be involved by offering suggestions and sharing reviews, but will leave the final purchase decision to the customer.

AI assistant for employees

Another point Walmart emphasizes is the employee side: positioning AI not as a cost-cutting tool, but as a tool to make employees more effective and provide better customer service. Assistants that provide real-time support to employees on issues such as product location on the shelf, stock status, shelf replenishment priority, and in-store security risks form the infrastructure of the "better service" goal.

No matter what product the customer asks for, the AI ​​instantly sees which shelf it's on, whether it's in stock, and when it will arrive. The AI ​​decides which shelf needs to be restocked first and directs the employee accordingly. If there's a spilled liquid somewhere (a safety issue), the AI ​​instantly changes the direction and sends the employee there.

Search and Discovery: From product finding to decision and action.

The common message from the panel discussing the future of search and discovery at CES was this: Search is no longer just about “finding”; it's about enabling the customer to make decisions and take action. The customer journey is shortening; visual, audio, and conversational interfaces are becoming widespread; filters are becoming obsolete, while dialogue and clarifying questions are taking center stage.

In this new world, the retailer's biggest task is to clean up and make product information and catalogs reliable in a way that "AIs can understand": correct product attributes, correct images, correct stock information, up-to-date prices... Because in real-world systems, the margin of error is very low. Furthermore, new protocols and announcements are accelerating in the ecosystem regarding interoperability; this field is truly entering a period where "new developments are emerging every week."

Vision list for retail

Looking at the picture emerging from CES 2026, the vision that the retail sector should focus on in the next 5 years can be shaped as follows:

1. Position AI as a separate topic on the C-level agenda; conduct a quarterly AI transformation progress review.
2. Redesign the search and discovery experience: enhance catalog and content quality, and prepare for conversational and visual search.
3. Expand the health and well-being category; reflect the impact of GLP-1 and new consumer preferences in your category strategy.
4. Make decisions by evaluating the ROI of automation and robotics investments in the supply chain; focus on employee-empowering assistants.
5. Aim to "be where the customer is," strike a balance that allows you to move forward without losing customer relationships and data. Be prepared to become more engaged with homes, cars, and wearable computers.
6. Enable automation in repeat shopping; preserve the human touch in discovery and preference-based shopping areas.
7. Manage trust and price as the base currency; prioritize permission and privacy.
8. Treat energy efficiency not as a reporting issue, but as a direct matter of profitability and cost management.

   CES 2026 shows us that the next five years in retail will bring more change than the last 50 years. It's no longer about playing a role in this change, but about determining how to lead it.

   Read the full article at Retail Turkey.