The future of retail does not start tomorrow. Key takeaways from Jantar Retail Forum 2026

Artificial intelligence is changing the way purchasing decisions are made. Automation is taking over further operational processes. Customers expect increasingly personalised experiences, and physical stores are redefining their role.

On 10 June 2026, another edition of Jantar Retail Forum 2026 took place at Hotel Alpin in Szczyrk – an event devoted to current challenges, trends and technologies supporting the development of the retail sector. Zwyrtek Group was a partner of the event, and Michał Zwyrtek moderated the closing panel discussion on the future of retail concepts.

Jantar Retail Forum 2026 in Szczyrk

On 10 June 2026, another edition of Jantar Retail Forum 2026 took place at Hotel Alpin in Szczyrk – an event devoted to current challenges, trends and technologies supporting the development of the retail sector.

Zwyrtek Group was a partner of the event. The forum created space for exchanging experience, building relationships and discussing solutions that already support the day-to-day running of retail businesses.

This year's agenda focused on topics with a real impact on retail: growth strategies for retail, the use of artificial intelligence and automation, customer experience at points of sale, cybersecurity and business continuity, e-commerce, inventory management, the digital product passport, and the future of retail concepts.

Particular interest was shown in talks on the practical use of AI in retail and the expert panel on the direction of modern retail's development, which Michał Zwyrtek moderated at the close of the event.

1. AI is ceasing to be an experiment and becoming a business tool

A common conclusion ran through many of the presentations: artificial intelligence has stopped being a technological curiosity. Retail companies are increasingly using AI for inventory planning, demand forecasting, personalising the offer, customer service and automating operational processes.

Increasingly, the question is no longer "should we deploy AI?", but "how quickly can we achieve a real business return from it?".

2. Automation does not eliminate people – it changes their role

Contrary to popular predictions, forum participants stressed that technology does not replace people in retail. What it does change is the range of competencies required of employees.

The greatest value today is created by people able to combine business knowledge with the ability to use new technologies.

3. Data is becoming one of retailers' most valuable resources

From price and inventory management to personalising customer experiences – the effective use of data was one of the most frequently recurring topics of the conference.

The retail of the future will rely on faster decision-making, supported by analytics, algorithms and a better understanding of customer behaviour.

4. Customers expect consistent experiences across all channels

The line between online and offline sales is increasingly blurring. The key challenge is creating a single ecosystem covering the physical store, e-commerce, mobile apps, payments, loyalty programmes and after-sales service.

Unified commerce is no longer a vision of the future, but the direction in which the whole sector is developing.

5. Cybersecurity is becoming part of business strategy

The growing number of digital systems means greater responsibility for data security and business continuity. The forum stressed that cybersecurity is no longer solely the domain of IT departments.

It is an area with a direct impact on business results, reputation and customer trust.

6. The physical store is changing its function

One of the most interesting topics of the expert panel was the future of physical stores. Experts agreed that stores will not disappear. Their role, however, will change.

Outlets will increasingly become places of experience, order-collection points, hubs for building customer relationships, and an element of omnichannel strategy.

7. The biggest changes in retail are still ahead of us

The panel "The Future of Retail Concepts" closed the event with a discussion of scenarios for 2030.

The conversation raised questions about whether artificial intelligence will independently manage purchasing, whether the cashier will become a scarce profession, whether physical stores will be more like showrooms than points of sale, and whether local retail concepts will successfully compete against global marketplaces.

The answers were not clear-cut, but one thing left no doubt: the pace of change in retail will keep increasing.

Zwyrtek Group, partner of Jantar Retail Forum 2026

Zwyrtek Group was a partner of Jantar Retail Forum 2026. We would like to thank the organisers, participants, speakers and partners for the inspiring conversations, active participation and exchange of experience.

For Zwyrtek Group, taking part in the event was an opportunity to discuss how technology, data, AI, cybersecurity and organisational change affect board-level decisions and the day-to-day running of retail businesses.

The closing panel discussion, moderated by Michał Zwyrtek, focused on the future of retail concepts, new customer-experience models and the impact of technology on the organisation of retail.

Summary

Jantar Retail Forum 2026 showed that the future of retail is no longer a distant vision. Technologies such as AI, automation, advanced data analytics and modern omnichannel solutions are already influencing retailers' business decisions today.

We would like to thank all speakers, partners and participants for the time spent together, the inspiring conversations and the exchange of experience.

See you at future events.