What Pet Retailers Can Take Away from NRF 2026

Many pet retailers plan their year around industry-specific events like Global Pet Expo and SuperZoo. These shows are invaluable for discovering new products, connecting with suppliers, and staying closely tied to the pet industry. 

Because of that focus, broader retail events like NRF’s Big Show often fall outside the typical show calendar. Not every pet retailer attends NRF, and some may not even be familiar with it. Still, many of the conversations happening there directly influence how pet businesses operate, grow, and compete. 

Here are a few key takeaways from NRF 2026 and how they translate back to pet retail. 

What Is the NRF Big Show? 

NRF’s Big Show is the National Retail Federation's annual conference in New York City. Every January, retailers, technology providers, and industry leaders come together to talk about what’s working in retail, what’s changing, and what’s coming next. While it isn’t pet-specific, the trends discussed there often shape the tools, expectations, and systems that eventually become standard across retail. 

Our team attends NRF to hear directly from retailers and industry experts across many verticals. This year at NRF 2026, the same core topics came up repeatedly: inventory accuracy, omnichannel selling, customer experience, staffing challenges, and systems that don’t stay in sync. These aren’t industry-specific problems — they’re retail problems. And they affect pet stores at every stage of growth. 

Inventory Is the Conversation Everyone Comes Back To 

No matter the booth or conversation, inventory was a constant theme. Retailers talked about out-of-stocks, over-ordering, and inventory being in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

For pet retailers, these inventory challenges are especially familiar. Consumables need to move quickly. Specialty items and seasonal products require more careful planning. Vendor lead times and forecasting accuracy can make or break margins. 

NRF reinforced how much simpler inventory management becomes when forecasting and replenishment are built into the system retailers already use every day. When inventory is accurate and visible across locations and channels, many downstream problems quietly improve. 

Each Retailer Has Unique Needs — and That’s Not a Bad Thing 

One thing that stood out at NRF was how specific retailers’ questions were. 

Folks weren’t asking questions in general terms. They were asking about particular workflows and frustrations that are often overlooked in software. (Often because software developers don’t have a background in retail to help them really understand the needs of the industry) 

That’s especially true across pet retail. Most operations evolve over time, with systems added incrementally to support growth rather than designed all at once. 

Retailers don’t want rigid software that forces them to operate a certain way. They want systems that understand retail, allow flexibility where it matters, and can handle variations without breaking. 

Above: Each store is unique, but their software shouldn't fight against them because of it.

Rethinking the “Best-in-Class” Tech Stack 

For years, retailers were encouraged to use the best tool for each individual function. The best POS, the best eCommerce platform, the best inventory tool, the best loyalty software, etc. 

At NRF, more retailers were questioning that approach. Even strong individual systems create friction when they don’t work together. Switching between platforms slows staff down, training takes longer, and troubleshooting becomes more complicated. 

There was growing interest in having one system that does everything and works well together, instead of several systems that each do one thing in isolation. 

Understanding Unified Commerce Without the Buzzwords 

Unified commerce came up constantly at NRF, but not always in a useful way. 

The most practical conversations focused on the basics. Retailers want systems that stay in sync without extra effort. Inventory, sales, and customer data should update when something happens, not hours later. Staff shouldn’t have to jump between tools to answer simple questions or complete everyday tasks. 

For growing pet retailers, unified commerce is about avoiding the friction that comes from managing systems that only partially talk to each other. When tools are disconnected, small issues quickly turn into bigger ones. 

Learn more about the real definition of unified commerce here. 

The Real Way to Build Trust and Loyalty 

NRF had no shortage of flashy, eye-catching booths. Many of them pulled people in quickly, but the conversations often stayed surface-level. 

Other booths were simpler and more focused. Those tended to lead to longer, more meaningful discussions. 

That same dynamic exists in pet retail. Creative branding and fun promotions help bring customers through the door, but the store has to live up to that promise. Product knowledge, consistency, and sincerity are what keep people coming back. 

Pet owners value trust. A reliable, consistent store experience matters just as much as your personality and passion. 

Above: Loyal customers are built on trust, consistency, and genuine care.

What NRF Reinforced Overall 

NRF 2026 made one thing clear: retailers aren’t chasing shiny objects anymore. They’re looking for systems and experiences that support how they actually run their businesses. 

For pet retailers, the opportunity isn’t to copy what big-box stores are doing. It’s to take the thinking behind those strategies and apply them at a scale that makes sense. 

Strong systems behind the scenes make it easier to deliver the meaningful, personal experience pet customers already expect. 

Bringing This Technology to Pet Retail 

NRF is where enterprise retail and large-scale technology often take center stage. FieldStack was built to support those more complex environments. 

But we realize that not every business needs a complex system. That’s why we built PetStack — so independent pet retailers can access the same core technology without the extras and consultative support that enterprise retailers need. The goal is to give indie pet stores tools that support growth, accuracy, and consistency, without getting in the way of what makes them special. 

If you’re attending Global Pet Expo this year, you’ll have a chance to see that technology firsthand. 

Stop by Booth 5390 at Global Pet Expo, March 25–27 to see unified commerce in action and discuss how your store can benefit.