2026's Must-Attend Retail Events

If you thought 2025 was a great year for retail payments events, 2026 is going to really make you sit up and pay attention! There are going to be a lot of exciting opportunities for learning, networking, and exploring the future of payments at a great variety of different retail events. 

You know that every new advancement in technology and consumer preferences means that your business will need to learn to adapt. You’ll get the information you need to navigate changing market conditions at these innovative retail conferences and find yourself moving in the right direction when they’re done. 

Do yourself a favor and check out these innovative retail conferences  where you’ll be able to analyze trends, define the future of commerce, and meet with other influential and visionary attendees. Here’s our carefully curated list of the best retail payments technology events for 2026! 

Oh, and by the way, we’ll be at all of these events, so make sure you come and find us while you’re there! 

January to March

NRF (National Retail Federation) January 11–13, 2026 in New York, NY. 

You absolutely need to be at Retail's Big Show to understand how businesses are turning payments from a simple transaction into a strategic revenue driver. Plan on learning about technologies like SoftPOS and biometrics, and learn to master payments data to drive hyper-personalization and loyalty. 

You’ll get the actionable insights you need to engineer your payments for optimum revenue and scale. 

eTail USA (Palm Springs), February 23–26, 2026 in Palm Springs, CA. 

eTail West is a great one because it brings retail leaders together for conversations about AI personalization and customer retention. You’lll discover how AI-driven fraud detection enhances security and minimizes false positives, which increases authorization rates. The focus on omnichannel and unified commerce will give you a chance to build a strong foundational payments strategy. 

This event provides actionable insights for scaling your business efficiently by leveraging payments optimization services and API solutions. 

eTail EU (eTail Connect Spring), March 3–4, 2026 in London, UK. 

eTail Connect Europe is the definitive conference for retail's elite, offering a curated focus on digital and omnichannel strategies across the EU. You'll gain targeted, actionable insights into transforming your payments stack to meet evolving customer expectations. 

This event is vital for any payments professional serious about increasing conversion rates and securing their scale across the global commerce ecosystem.

Merchant Transact 360 March 25–26, 2026 in London, UK. 

Transact 360 is exclusively for merchant payments professionals who are looking for ways to navigate the complexities and challenges of the evolving payments ecosystem. You'll gain a direct, practical view of how to optimize your payments strategy for today's market. 

This event is great for you if you’re on the path towards ensuring you're ready to tackle everything from fraud to international scaling.

ShopTalk Spring USA March 24–26, 2026 in Las Vegas, NV. 

Shoptalk is where retail's biggest conversations happen. The event's core focus is the imperative of payment simplicity within an increasingly complex ecosystem. You'll find direct strategies to maximize authorizations while delivering robust security. The emphasis is on building a unified commerce strategy that integrates all channels. 

This event is great for those who want to learn about operational efficiency and using a single platform to simplify global payments.

Savant NYC, June 4, 2026 in New York City, USA. 

The digital world is not waiting for permission. Savant New York explores the transformative shifts reshaping digital commerce, delivering the practical truth about AI and social commerce. This is the nerve center for innovation, uniting the elite to trade insights, not sales pitches. 

Stop guessing: go and get the tactical knowledge you need to master consumer behavior and secure your company's growth.

ShopTalk Europe, June 9–11, 2026 in Barcelona, Spain. 

Shoptalk Europe is the massive, high-energy event that is Europe's nerve center for digital innovation, uniting professionals to dissect the digital transformation and payment strategies that matter. This isn't just a conference; it's a strategic platform where you gain actionable intelligence about commerce and payment trends. 

You'll see exactly how to move your business from merely processing payments to strategically leveraging them for growth across the whole retail ecosystem.

Commerce Next Growth Show June 24–26, 2026 in New York, NY. 

CommerceNext Growth is the essential show for eCommerce and retail success, offering deep dives into keynotes, sessions, and networking specifically tailored to boost growth. This event is where the industry's problem-solvers gather to master the technical and business challenges of the digital marketplace. 

Go to this one to get the practical, actionable takeaways you need to turn inspiration into immediate revenue results.

e-Commerce Connect Portugal, March 4–5, 2026 in Lison, Portugal

Ecommerce Connect is set in Portugal for a focused learning experience, prioritizing a singular and memorable event for e-commerce professionals. If you go to this one, you’ll get direct, practical strategies to secure growth by mastering a payments infrastructure that is essential to any great customer journey. 

This event is an indispensable gathering for problem-solvers who refuse to settle for boring.

PI Apparel NYC (The Fashion Tech Show), June 2026 in NYC, USA 

This event is the essential technical deep-dive into the future of fashion retail. It focuses on the tectonic shifts in product development, design, and retail technology. You will see exactly how AI and digital transformation reduce waste through accurate demand forecasting and how virtual try-on technology reduces returns, which directly impacts your financial models. 

This event is where you get the hard facts you need to adapt your payments infrastructure for mobile commerce, virtual goods, and hyper-personalization.

March to June

Retail Technology Show, April 22–23, 2026 in London, UK. 

The Retail Technology Show is where Europe's retailers get their payments and tech stack tuned up. This dynamic hub unites innovators to cut through the noise on AI, automation, and payments. 

This is a great event for those looking for game-changing solutions to boost your operational efficiency and drive immediate sales growth.

SubSummit, May 13–15, 2026 in Kansas City, MO. 

SubSummit is the definitive event for subscription commerce, providing tactical strategies to conquer the unique challenges of recurring revenue. You'll gain actionable insights for building profitability and retaining customers by improving member experience. 

This is an essential gathering for problem-solvers who know that preventing involuntary churn is best achieved with technology and strategic planning.

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July to September

Groceryshop September 22–24, 2026 in Las Vegas, NV. 

Groceryshop is where the future of grocery, CPG, technology, and innovation are clearly defined. Highly relevant for your payments strategy, you’ll get key insights on embedded and next-generation retail payments. 

This is a great one for the decisive information you need to make sure your payment infrastructure supports the rapid evolution of this high-volume commerce sector.

ShopTalk Fall September 29 – October 1, 2026 in Nashville, TN. 

Shoptalk Fall is the ultimate retail conference for senior decision-makers looking to reimagine the future of commerce. The event features an exceptional speaker lineup providing invaluable insights across ecommerce, technology, and payments. You’ll learn about the precise tech solutions and knowledge you need to transform your business by focusing on customer loyalty and strategically leveraging AI to enhance the entire shopping experience. 

This event is your chance to future-proof your business by securing the knowledge and tools to succeed in an evolving marketplace.

Discover Open Payments with Spreedly at Upcoming Events 

Each of these events offers retailers a unique opportunity to sharpen their competitive edge. Whether scaling operations, enhancing customer experiences, or exploring open payment solutions, these conferences position your organization to be ahead of the curve.

Connect with Spreedly at one of these upcoming events or reach out to us right now! Let’s explore how an open payments platform equips your business for global scale, optimized payment strategies, and unparalleled delivery to your customers.

Together, we will shape the future of commerce.

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