9:00-9:10 AM CT
Welcome and introduction
Karen Kelso, Vice President

9:10 AM-9:40 AM CT
2026 macro environment and implications for Walmart
Doug Hermanson, Principal Economist

Shoppers and retailers will be under considerable stress in 2026. What should businesses know about the retail business operating environment? Topics we’ll discuss include:

• Recent policy changes likely to affect Walmart’s core customers
• Impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill
• Why the K-shaped economy matters
  

9:40-10:10 AM CT
Keeping it real: 2026 macro implications for Walmart
Doug Hermanson, Principal Economist, Retail Insights
Karen Kelso, Vice President, Retail Insights

Join us as we dig deeper and apply our macroeconomic insights to our key themes: AI, brand marketing, and social media. Topics we’ll discuss include:  

• Connections between AI, the economy, and retail
• Customer demographics that will be most impacted economically by the macro economy and the implications
• How the current economic environment impacts competition between and among retailers and CPG manufacturers

10:10-10:40 AM CT
Taking a look at Walmart shoppers
Julie Craig, Vice President, Shopper Insights

Walmart shoppers are beset with worries and stress. We’ll dig into their key attributes and perceptions to understand what is top of mind. Topics we’ll discuss include:  

• Walmart shopper demographics and what they mean for the future
• How to evolve with changing shopper behaviors and preferences
• Ways to keep up with digital engagement

10:40-11:10 AM CT
Keeping it real: Insights on Walmart shoppers
Julie Craig, Vice President, Shopper Insights
Karen Kelso, Vice President, Retail Insights

Join us as we dig deeper and apply our shopper insights to our key themes: AI, brand marketing, and social media. Topics we’ll discuss include:  

• The implications of current immigration policies for Walmart’s Hispanic customer base
• How AI capabilities affect customer relationships
• The met and unmet desires of the all-important high-income shopper

11:10-11:25 AM CT
BREAK

11:25-11:55 AM CT
How AI will come to life at Walmart
Karen Kelso, Vice President, Retail Insights

Walmart has invested tens of billions in capex to build out technology and AI capabilities. What does it mean to be a “people-led, tech-powered” retailer? Topics we’ll discuss include:  

• Where Walmart will focus on leveraging AI capabilities
• Finding the balance between people and technology
• Preparing for agentic AI

11:55 AM -12:25 PM CT
Walmart and Amazon: The competition evolves
Rachel Dalton, Head of Retail Insights, North America
Karen Kelso, Vice President, Retail Insights

Amazon has received permission to build a 229,000-square-foot retail facility outside Chicago. What does this store mean for Amazon’s plans for physical retail? How will Walmart respond? What are the implications for shoppers, suppliers, and competitors? Topics we’ll discuss include:  

• Where Amazon and Walmart are likely to place bets in 2026
• How Amazon and Walmart will measure success against their objectives
• Implications, impacts, and predictions for the future 

12:25-12:40 PM CT
Keeping it real: Walmart and Amazon: The competition evolves
Rachel Dalton, Head of Retail Insights, North America
Karen Kelso, Vice President, Retail Insights

Join us as we look more closely at the ways in which Walmart and Amazon will be vying for customers’ dollars:  

• How technology will shape business strategies
• The diverging paths of agentic AI
• The further monetization of data streams

12:40-12:50 PM CT
Day 1 recap
Karen Kelso, Vice President

9:00-9:10 AM CT
Welcome and introduction
Karen Kelso, Vice President

9:10-9:40 AM CT
Social commerce is changing the purchase funnel
Taylre Stumpf, Lead Analyst

Social commerce (eBay, Facebook Marketplace, TikTok Shop) is estimated to account for about 10% of all ecommerce activity. How does the always-on attention economy reshape the purchase funnel? How do brands support discovery and engagement? Topics we’ll cover include:  

• Which categories and brands are succeeding in social commerce and why
• How shoppers consider and purchase products through social media
• Implications for retailers and CPG/FMCG brands

9:40-10:10 AM CT
Keeping it real: Social commerce shifting physical retail 
Taylre Stumpf, Lead Analyst
Karen Kelso, Vice President

How should retailers and manufacturers think about their brands in the context of social media? Topics we’ll discuss include: 

• Building out the three “R’s”:  real, relevant, and resonant
• Moving from “one to many” to “one to one”
• Harnessing compelling storytelling

10:10-10:40 AM CT
Growth through ecosystems and the opportunities and risks
Karen Kelso, Vice President

Walmart’s ecosystem depends on the growth of B2B and B2C services to support the retailer’s objective of growing profits faster than sales. The current business climate will challenge that goal. Topics we’ll discuss include: 

• Driving supplier revenue streams while maintaining customer-centricity
• Transitioning from transaction-based retail to loyalty-led retail
• Examining the role of customer trust and why it’s more critical than ever

10:40-11:10 AM CT
Keeping it real: Growth through ecosystems 
Karen Kelso, Vice President, Retail Insights
David Marcotte, Senior Vice President, Retail Insights
Amar Singh, Senior Director, Retail Insights

As more retailers adopt ecosystems, patterns are emerging about what is and is not working. Topics we’ll discuss include:  

• Retail media networks: high ROAS or high likelihood of obsolescence with agentic AI?
• Retailer ecosystems are a modern version of slotting fees: true or false
• Divergence between shopper expectations and retail realities
  

11:10-11:25 AM CT
BREAK

11:25-11:55 AM CT
Successful selling in the attention economy
Karen Kelso, Vice President

Retail growth is dominated by ecommerce and, increasingly, by social commerce, a technological landscape that defies the traditional rules of retail. What does it take to succeed in this environment? Topics we’ll discuss include:  

• Persuasive microtargeting
• How to leverage industry insights on underlying consumer needs
• Retailers and channels with competitive advantages
  
  

11:55 AM-12:25 PM CT
Keeping it real: Selling in the attention economy
Karen Kelso, Vice President
Taylre Stumpf, Lead Analyst, Retail Insights
Ross Cloyd, Director, Retail Insights

Consumers are constantly bombarded with social media and demands on their attention. How do brands effectively and efficiently reach consumers? Topics we’ll discuss include: 

• Whether any kind of attention, positive or negative, is good for brands
• Guidelines for effective omnichannel marketing
• Ways to measure promotional effectiveness and create a “stickier” brand

12:25-12:40 PM CT
Ask me anything Q&A
Karen Kelso, Vice President

12:40-12:50 PM CT
Day 2 recap
Karen Kelso, Vice President