Rachel Calhoun, Kyndryl – From Omnichannel to Unified Commerce
with Rachel Calhoun, Kyndryl
The episode opens with Rachel Calhoun, Global VP Retail, Consumer and Airlines at Kyndryl discussing the evolution from omnichannel to truly unified commerce. Rather than simply connecting channels, she explains that unified commerce is about real time data integration across systems, enabling retailers to surface the right information at the right moment for customers, regardless of how or where they engage.
She emphasises the need for agile and adaptive operating models that allow retailers to integrate digital investments with physical stores.
The focus is shifting towards making data available in real time, so that experiences are personalised, relevant and consistent across all touchpoints.
AI is a dominant theme throughout the episode. Rachel Calhoun highlights live production use cases already delivering value, including pricing optimisation, inventory and supply chain optimisation, and customer personalisation. Examples such as Walmart and H&M demonstrate how AI is reducing stock outs and driving direct revenue impact.
The discussion then moves to Agentic AI and its potential to reshape both internal operations and customer experiences. For store associates, automation of manual tasks could free up more time to engage with customers, supported by better data to inform cross selling and upselling. From the customer perspective, expectations will rise as technology becomes more responsive, real time and integrated.
Glenn Allison, Tractor Supply Company – Scaling AI in Retail at Tractor Supply Company
with Glenn Allison, Tractor Supply Company
Glenn Allison, VP AI Platforms at Tractor Supply Company, shares how the retailer has successfully scaled AI across its organisation.
Serving over 2,400 rural communities, Tractor Supply focuses on practical AI use cases that enhance team member productivity, automate processes and improve inventory planning.
Every team member is equipped with AI enabled tools that provide real time product information, recommendations and inventory data through a single mobile device.
This simplifies operations while improving the in-store customer experience. Glenn also discusses the company’s early adoption of Agentic AI through tools such as Scout AI, which guides customers through complex purchase decisions using conversational interactions.
He explains how agent enabled browsers and platforms are beginning to change how customers shop, allowing agents to research, compare and even add products to baskets on behalf of customers, while still keeping a human in the loop for larger decisions.
Rachel Dalton, Kantar – Retail Trends and the Shopper of 2026
with Rachel Dalton, Kantar
Rachel Dalton, Head of Retailer Insights Americas at Kantar, outlines four key themes shaping retail in 2026.
These include rethinking resilience in an unpredictable environment, managing fractured collaboration between retailers and suppliers, future proofing brand value, and recalibrating relationships with increasingly individualised shoppers.
She highlights that shoppers are cautiously optimistic, balancing the need to save money with a desire for value beyond price.
With shopping journeys becoming more circular and non-linear, retailers must communicate consistently across many touchpoints.
AI plays a key role in reducing friction, improving discovery and increasing convenience throughout the shopping experience.
Matthew Jacoby, RaceTrac – Making AI Work in Practice at Racetrac
with Matthew Jacoby, RaceTrac
Matt Jacoby, Executive Director of Enterprise Strategic Analytics and Data Science at Racetrac, discusses why many AI initiatives fail and how Racetrac aims to avoid this.
He stresses the importance of starting small, focusing on pilots, and maintaining strong alignment with business outcomes.
Rather than chasing technology for its own sake, Racetrac prioritises customer experience, scalability and team productivity.
Agentic AI is viewed as another tool in the toolkit, one that requires strong governance, clear use cases and a focus on value rather than hype.
Amy Carr, Thirdlove – Becoming an AI First Retail Brand
with Amy Carr, CMO, Thirdlove
Amy Carr, Chief Marketing and Digital Officer at ThirdLove, shares her perspective on what it means for brands to be AI first.
She describes a shift from back of house efficiencies, such as analytics, towards front of house applications like customer service and shopping agents.
Amy explains that brands must actively experiment with AI while clearly defining where human connection remains essential.
She predicts major changes in ecommerce as websites adapt not only for human shoppers but also for bots shopping on behalf of consumers.
This has significant implications for marketing, search optimisation and content creation, with AI generated content enabling faster testing and iteration.
Jason Johnson, Sweetwater Sound – Redefining Loyalty with AI at Sweetwater
with Jason Johnson, Sweetwater Sound
The episode concludes with Jason Johnson, CIO of Sweetwater Sound, who discusses how AI is transforming customer acquisition and retention. Rather than replacing traditional loyalty models, AI enables truly personalised, one to one engagement at scale.
Sweetwater uses AI to understand complex customer personas and deliver relevant content in real time. Internally, AI is also being used to enhance employee coaching by analysing every sales call, surfacing insights without bias, and supporting human managers with actionable recommendations. Jason emphasises the importance of strong governance and positioning AI as a tool that augments people rather than replaces them.
Key Takeaways
Across all conversations, a consistent message emerges. AI is moving rapidly from experimentation to execution, but success depends on clear business alignment, strong data foundations and thoughtful change management. Unified commerce, agent driven experiences and personalised engagement are no longer future concepts but active priorities shaping retail today.
This episode provides a grounded and practical view of how leading organisations are navigating the next phase of retail transformation.
