May 4–5, 2026 | Hyatt Regency Toronto Power Your Growth
There’s a certain energy that shows up this time of year in retail.
You can feel it in the conversations, the pace, the way people start leaning in a little more. eTail™ Toronto has become one of those moments where the industry doesn’t just talk about change, it compares notes on what’s actually happening.
And this year’s agenda makes one thing clear right away. Retail isn’t easing into the future. It’s already there.
If you look at how the event opens, it sets the tone quickly. From the industry keynote with Paul Briggs to the fireside with David Lui Lui, there’s a strong focus on what it actually takes to rebuild and grow a modern brand. Not theory, but real operators sharing how they’ve done it.
That carries into the C-suite panel with Ashwin Aggarwal, Sari Deckelbaum, and Lisa Mattam . These are the conversations that matter right now because they’re grounded in the pressure every retailer is feeling.
Costs. Complexity. And a customer who is more selective than ever.
What stands out this year is how clearly everything connects.
AI shows up across the agenda, but not in a hype-driven way. You see it in sessions like the one from Michelle Grant on unified commerce and AI-driven growth, and again in conversations around team readiness and capability building. This is the shift we’ve been talking about for a while. AI is no longer something to explore. It’s something to operationalize.
At the same time, there’s a return to fundamentals. The session with Eiko Kawano on PC Optimum is a great example. Loyalty is evolving, but the goal hasn’t changed. Build something customers actually want to engage with.
And when you look at panels with leaders like Matt Dykeman, Corinne Lalonde, and Danielle Bazely, CM , the conversation keeps coming back to the same question. How do you create a connected experience when the customer is moving faster than your organization?
There are also a few sessions I’m personally looking forward to being part of. The hyperpersonalization discussion with Ekaterina Dobrokhotova and Jing Zhao is one I think will resonate with a lot of teams.
Later in the day, the eTail Tonight panel with Niharika Kumar, Nour Semaan, Austin Banasco and Lavanya Bakshi will dig into loyalty and CRM in a way that reflects how complex that space has become.
Beyond the stage, this year is a big moment for us as well.
Alongside David Nagy, Johnny Russo, and Tara Conway, we’ll be hosting the Commerce Rewired podcast live from the floor in partnership with eTail and RETHINK Retail.
We’ll be pulling speakers right after they step off stage and sitting down for short, focused conversations with leaders like Mélissa Lessard, Frederick LeCoq, Nour Semaan, and Nichol Noorirad.
It’s a different kind of format. Less polished, more honest, and much closer to what’s actually happening inside their business.
On Monday night, we take that even further.
We’re hosting Commerce Rewired: Executive Industry Night. A curated, invitation-only group of operators, leaders, and builders. No stage. No presentations. No selling.
Just a room designed for real conversation.
The goal is simple. Create a space where people can talk openly about what’s happening right now. Where AI is changing the business in practical ways. What’s being overestimated, and what’s being missed completely.
In many ways, these are the conversations that shape what happens next.
This kind of night doesn’t happen without the right group of partners behind it.
We’re proud to have Hale Digital leading the way as our lead sponsor, helping bring the evening to life. They’re joined by RTB House, ShopVision, Rithum, Caddle, and Kit and Ace, all supporting what we’re building that night.
And it’s worth saying this clearly. This isn’t about logos in a room. It’s about bringing together companies that are actively shaping retail, alongside operators who are living it every day. That’s what makes the conversation better.
If you step back and look at the full agenda, the signal is clear.
Retail is being rebuilt in real time. Not just through technology, but through better thinking, stronger operators, and a deeper understanding of the customer.
That’s what makes this week matter.
And finally, a thank you to the teams at eTail and RETHINK Retail for the partnership and for helping bring this to life.
These kinds of moments don’t happen without the people behind them.
If you’re going to be at eTail Toronto, I’m looking forward to seeing you there. And if not, we’ll bring the conversations back with us.