---
title: 2026 Global Digital Commerce Conference
description: Kantar’s Global Digital Commerce Conference brings together thought leaders, innovators, and change makers to explore strategies for navigating uncertainty in the digital age.
image: https://retailiq.kantar.com/hubfs/2026%20Event%20Images/Digital%20Commerce%20Conference-1280x720.jpg
---
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## Kantar's 2026 Global Digital Commerce Conference
## 17-18 June 2026
Virtual
[Register](https://retailiq.kantar.com/2026-digital-commerce-conference#REGISTER)
[2026 Agenda](https://retailiq.kantar.com/hubfs/2026%20Event%20Agendas/2026%20Kantar%20Global%20Digital%20Commerce%20Conference%20Agenda%205.22.pdf?hsLang=en)
Kantar’s Global Digital Commerce Conference is the premier event for industry-leading brands and retailers looking to stay ahead in the ever-evolving digital commerce landscape.
Digital commerce is moving into a more complex phase as advanced AI technologies, retailer strategies, and shifting shopper behaviors reshape the path to growth.
Our 2026 conference examines the forces redefining digital commerce globally, the rise of agent-led discovery, and the next phase of omnichannel competition. For brands and retailers, the implications — about where to invest, how to protect visibility, and how to drive commercial advantage — are immediate.
Our bold perspectives, deep analysis, and spirited discussions that challenge conventional wisdom will equip you with the knowledge you need to refine your strategies.
Join us at the global Digital Commerce Conference and be part of the conversations shaping the future of digital retail.
You’ll leave this event with insights into:
- What’s changing in digital commerce — AI-led discovery, omnichannel execution, and platform shifts — and what to do next
- A clearer investment road map about how to protect visibility; improve conversion; and align retail media, content, and operations as commerce gets more complex
- The forces reshaping digital commerce strategy globally across retailers and platforms
- How AI and Amazon are changing visibility, choice, and growth
## Conference Agenda
#### Reach out to [events@kantarconsulting.com](mailto:events@kantarconsulting.com) for questions.
DAY 1: June 17 DAY 2: June 18
10:00-10:10 AM ET
**Welcome and introduction**
*Malcolm Pinkerton, Global Head of Retail Insights*
10:10-10:50 AM ET
**Digital Transformation and the global commerce economy**
*Rachel Dalton, Head of Retail Insights, North America*
*Paida Mugudubi, Head of Retail Insights, EMEA and APAC*
- Discover the big beats for global digital commerce and what they mean for the US and Europe.
- Uncover where top retailers stand in their digital transformation and get a look at what’s next.
- Consider where you can place your bets in a fast-changing landscape.
10:50-11:30 AM ET
**Global channel strategy development**
*Simon Johnstone, Senior Director*
- Get a framework-based analysis of the top retail channels in the US, Canada, and Europe and the strategies you can employ to grow with them.
- Assess current realities, emerging trends, and future inflection points.
- Evaluate top priorities when formulating key customer plans.
11:30 AM-Noon PM ET
**Amazon and the future of agentic commerce**
*Fireside chat: Rachel Dalton, Kantar*
*(Moderator), Justin Honaman, Global Head, Worldwide Retail, Restaurants & Consumer Goods, Amazon Web Services*
- Explore Amazon’s investments in AI and its impact on retail stores.
- Learn what you should prioritize to stay ahead as agents advance.
- Consider new ways to create industry partnerships.
Noon-12:30 PM ET
**IQ Roundtable: Digital commerce top client topics impacting retail in the US, Canada, and Mexico**
*Moderator: Kate McGee, Partner, Syndicated Retail Platforms
Retail Insights team: Americas*
12:30-1:00 PM ET
**Break**
**BREAKOUTS**
Choose one concurrent session.
*Note: All attendees will receive the recordings for all sessions, so if you can’t listen live, you can listen later on demand.*
1:00-1:35 PM ET
**Track 1: Winning within the new rules of omnichannel commerce
Emerging technologies driving the evolution of unified commerce**
*David Marcotte, Senior Vice President
Amar Singh, Senior Director*
- Find out how AI is accelerating unified commerce by automating actions across operations.
- Understand how connected tech (RFID, QR, 2D codes) unifies store and digital journeys.
- Discover how regional tech maturity influences commerce strategies.
1:00-1:35 PM ET
**Track 2: Navigating Amazon's next phase of growth
Amazon’s global business priorities and strategic outlook**
*Rachel Dalton, Head of Retail Insights, Americas
Andriana Bantra, Senior Insights Consultant*
- Review what Amazon’s strategic priorities for retail, marketplace, and services signal for 2027.
- Understand the implications of Amazon’s evolving advertising and merchandising model.
- Define near-term actions for brands across investments, joint business planning, and capability development.
1:35-1:40 PM ET
**Break**
1:40-2:15 PM ET
**Track 1: Winning within the new rules of omnichannel commerce
Fragmentation as Europe’s hidden digital commerce advantage**
*Paida Mugudubi, Head of Retail Insights, EMEA and APAC
Malcolm Pinkerton, Global Head of Retail Insights*
- Evaluate how complexity forces advanced evolution in commerce systems.
- Discover how Europe is the stress-test environment for the future of global commerce.
- Consider how to gain competitive advantage over less adaptive digital platforms.
1:40-2:15 PM ET
**Track 2: Navigating Amazon's next phase of growth
Amazon’s next generation of US shoppers**
*Anna Brennan, Principal Analyst
Taylre Stumpf, Lead Analyst*
- Explore the evolving preferences of Amazon’s youngest shoppers and how they differ from those of previous generations.
- Gain actionable strategies to attract and engage emerging shopper cohorts as they gain purchasing power.
- Establish points of differentiation and value among Amazon’s Gen Z and Gen Alpha shoppers.
2:15-2:20 PM ET
**Break**
2:20-2:255 PM ET
**Track 1: Winning within the new rules of omnichannel commerce
Maximizing online pickup and delivery partnerships**
Ross Cloyd, Director, Retail Insights
Georgia Rose, Senior Insights Consultant
- Explore the latest growth drivers, automation, and technology innovations transforming supply chains.
- Understand how strategic partnerships with delivery providers are redefining operations.
- Examine the future of logistics practices, consolidation, and strategies driving efficiency and brand differentiation.
2:20-2:55 PM ET
**Track 2: Navigating Amazon’s next phase of growth**
**Amazon’s healthcare playbook**
*Amar Singh, Senior Director*
- Evaluate the wellness economy and Amazon’s position.
- Discover how Amazon is changing the healthcare landscape.
- Consider where to leverage opportunities across the wellness ecosystem.
2:55-3:00 PM ET
**BREAK**
3:00-3:15 PM ET
**Day 1 recap**
*Malcolm Pinkerton, Global Head of Retail Insights*
10:00-10:10 AM ET
**Welcome and introduction**
*Malcolm Pinkerton, Global Head of Retail Insights*
10:10-10:50 AM ET
**AI’s role in shaping the global economy**
*Doug Hermanson, Principal Economist
Paida Mugudubi, Head of Retail Insights, EMEA and APAC
Barry Thomas, Senior Retail Commerce Thought Leader*
- Survey the transatlantic divide between the US and Europe in terms of AI acceleration.
- Evaluate similarities and differences between the US and key European countries.
- Explore horizontal and vertical agentic shopping and who is winning in each.
10:50-11:30 AM ET
**Global consumer trends and the impact to digital commerce**
*Jennifer James, Executive Vice President, MONITOR
Andrew Yohanan, Consultant, MONITOR*
- Review the six global trends expected to have the greatest impact on digital commerce from MONITOR’s newly released trends framework.
- Get an overview of key geographic and demographic drivers of each trend.
- Explore what these trends mean for the future.
11:30 AM-Noon ET
**Agentic AI & Commerce: The Discovery Shift Marketers Can’t Miss***Michael Komasinski, CEO, Criteo*
- Explore how agentic AI is reshaping consumer discovery, evaluation, and choice across the commerce journey.
- Understand where AI is actually driving measurable growth today, and where the hype falls short.
- Identify the strategies brands need to stay visible and competitive as intelligence reshapes every interaction.
Noon-12:30 PM ET
**IQ Roundtable: Digital commerce top client topics impacting retail across EMEA and APAC**
*Moderator: Malcolm Pinkerton, Global Head of Retail Insights
Retail Insights team: EMEA and APAC*
12:30-1:00 PM ET
**Break**
**BREAKOUTS**
Choose one concurrent session.
*Note: All attendees will receive the recordings for all sessions, so if you can’t listen live, you can listen later on demand.*
1:00-1:35 PM ET
**Track 3: Building a profitable AI commerce operating model**
**Agentic commerce 101 for commercial leaders**
*Barry Thomas, Senior Retail Commerce Thought Leader*
- Evaluate how AI commerce is moving value pools relative to traditional ecommerce.
- Understand the importance of product knowledge graphs in the AI commerce era.
- Learn how to influence AI agents and large language models to drive brand visibility and sales.
1:00-1:35 PM ET
**Track 4: New areas for digital disruption**
**Social commerce as a mainstream channel and new ways to win**
*Marie Humbert, Senior Insights Consultant
Taylre Stumpf, Lead Analyst*
- Unpack what’s driving the mainstream adoption of social commerce and how platform capabilities are reshaping the path to purchase.
- Get an update on TikTok Shop and learn how it became a mainstream marketplace.
- Assess how the discovery-to-conversion path is shifting from search to feeds and creators, and what that means for brand and retailers.
1:35-1:40 PM ET
**Break**
1:40-2:15 PM ET
**Track 3: Building a profitable AI commerce operating model
AI-enabled future: How AI is rewiring the path to purchase**
*Gina Logan, Associate Director, Category Insights*
- Understand how AI is rewiring commerce at the front end.
- Explore the new division of ownership in shaping shopper consideration and purchase.
- Translate this new commerce DNA into action to win both the AI-mediated moment and the shelf.
1:40-2:15 ET
**Track 4: New areas for digital disruption**
**Retail media: The brand-retailer dynamic and the impact of AI**
*Rachel Dalton, Head of Retail Insights, Americas
Rohan Mazumdar, Partner, Kantar Consulting
Kate McGee, Partner, Syndicated Retail Platforms
Joe Davis, Managing Director, Tree Line Strategy Group*
- Explore how brands are selectively investing in the right retail media networks for growth.
- Assess what it will take for retailers to gain incremental investment in their retail media networks.
- Evaluate the impact of large language models on the future of retail media networks.
2:15-2:20 PM ET
**BREAK**
2:20-2:55 PM ET
**Track 3: Building a profitable AI commerce operating model
Amazon vs. Walmart: Who is winning the AI commerce race?**
*Rachel Dalton, Head of Retail Insights, Americas
Karen Kelso, Vice President*
- Benchmark how Amazon and Walmart are deploying AI across search, merchandising, media, and fulfillment.
- Assess what AI-driven changes mean for discovery, conversion, and retail media effectiveness.
- Identify near-term priorities that can help brands stay ahead of fast-moving shifts.
2:20-2:55 ET
**Track 4: New areas for digital disruption**
**International marketplaces’ impact on commerce**
*Andriana Bantra, Senior Insights Consultant
Vikash Kaansili, Senior Analyst*
- Understand how global marketplaces are reshaping categories, pricing, and shopper expectations.
- Identify regional differences involving brand assortment, content/trust, and fulfillment.
- Prioritize where to expand, how to win visibility, and how to manage margin/compliance risk.
2:55-3:00 PM ET
**BREAK**
3:00-3:15 PM ET
**Day 2 recap**
Malcolm Pinkerton, Global Head of Retail Insights
How to attend
SEATBLOCK HOLDER?
[Talk to our event team ›](mailto:events@kantarconsulting.com)
meet the experts
Event speakers
Anna Brennan
Principal Analyst, Retail Insights
Adriana Bantra
Senior Insights Consultant
Ross Cloyd
Director
Rachel Dalton
Head of Retail Insights, Americas
Doug Hermanson
Principal Economist
Marie Humbert
Senior Insights Consultant
Simon Johnstone
Senior Director
Vikash Kaansili
Senior Analyst
Karen Kelso
Vice President
Gina Logan
Associate Director, Category Insights
David Marcotte
Senior Vice President
Rohan Mazumdar
Partner, Kantar Consulting
Kate McGee
Partner, Syndicated Retail Platforms
Paida Mugudubi
Head of Retail Insights, EMEA and APAC
Malcolm Pinkerton
Global Head of Retail Insights
Georgia Rose
Senior Insights Consultant
Amar Singh
Senior Director
Taylre Stumpf
Lead Analyst
Barry Thomas
Senior Retail Commerce Thought Leader
Justin Honaman
Global Head, Worldwide Retail, Restaurants & Consumer Goods, Amazon Web Services
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