AI isn't about being smart anymore. It's about being fast. That was the message AI expert Ron Galloway delivered at RetailSpaces, cutting through the hype to explain what retail leaders actually need to know about artificial intelligence in 2026.

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If you lead store development, construction, real estate, or design at a retail chain, you’ve sat through enough generic keynotes, wandered enough exhibit halls, and come home with enough branded pens to last a lifetime. There’s a better use of your...

When you walk into a store, you notice the lighting, the products, and the overall brand experience. You usually don’t notice the HVAC system, unless it’s failing. But behind the scenes, many retailers are wrestling with aging equipment, rising...

When Isha Nicole joined Boot Barn in December 2016, the company was doing $650 million in revenue. Nine years later: $2.2 billion.

That's 225% growth in an industry where 40-75% is considered strong. At RetailSpaces, Boot Barn's Creative Director ...

Genevieve Davis spent 20 years in store development, overseeing over a billion dollars in capital programs and building thousands of remodels. Then she left to co-found Surfaice, an AI platform built specifically for retail construction.

Why?...

Bianca Doerschlag walked the RetailSpaces audience through what most people get wrong about digital twins: they think it's one thing. It's not.

Think of a digital twin as a living, breathing replica of your physical stores, but in software. It's not...