On September 29, 2026, the Bensadoun School of Retail Management (BSRM) hosted its annual Reshaping the Future of Retail Conference at the Ritz-Carlton Montréal, powered by KPMG. Bringing together industry leaders, researchers and retail innovators, the event explored how artificial intelligence, customer engagement and data-driven decision-making are reshaping the retail landscape.
The day opened with a fireside chat featuring Steven Kramer, CEO and co-founder of WorkJam, and Stefan Lotz, director of customer engineering at Google Cloud. Speakers throughout the conference included Scott O’Leary, vice-president of loyalty and product at Air Canada; Maxime Cohen, professor and Scale AI chair in Data Science for Retail; and Stéphane Drouin, executive vice-president, Eastern Canada, at Léger.
Across the sessions, a clear theme emerged: the future of retail will depend on using AI with purpose, staying relevant throughout an increasingly fragmented customer journey and translating data into better decisions.
Using AI where it matters most
A recurring question emerged: How do retailers move from experimenting with AI to using it every day? Kramer highlighted the gap between adoption and integration: although 94 per cent of retailers report using AI, only 14 per cent of retail employees have AI embedded in their day-to-day work. Francesca Bonetti, assistant professor of marketing at HEC Montréal and visiting scholar at the University of Southern California, reinforced the importance of organizational readiness. Her research demonstrated that successful adoption depends not only on investment, but also on employee understanding and buy-in.
From a decision-making perspective, Maxime Cohen demonstrated how generative AI can make advanced pricing tools more accessible to businesses. His research also showed that AI-generated pricing recommendations can vary significantly depending on context, underscoring the importance of humans critically evaluating algorithmic outputs.
The importance of human oversight was echoed by Danny Torchia, vice-president of technology at Walmart Canada. He outlined Walmart's commitment to maintaining human involvement in high-stakes decisions while prioritizing transparency, fairness, security and privacy.
The discussion made one point clear: AI does not create value simply by being present. The opportunity lies in knowing where to use it, giving employees the context to adopt it, and keeping the human-in-the-loop.
Staying relevant from discovery to loyalty
As customer journeys become more complex, retailers are increasingly challenged to capture attention and maintain relevance across multiple touchpoints.
Stéphane Drouin's research shows that 46 per cent of Canadians surveyed had already been influenced by AI in a purchasing decision. As shoppers turn to AI for research and comparison, brands have less control over those early stages of the buying process. The question is shifting from “Can shoppers find us?” to “Will AI recommend us?”
Research from McGill Desautels PhD fellow Heui Jae Choi explored the impact of personalized recommendations on customer behaviour. Her findings suggest that a customer’s initial experience on a platform can influence how quickly they return, highlighting the critical role first interactions play in building longer-term relationships.
Maintaining relevance beyond the first purchase was another focus. Scott O’Leary discussed how Aeroplan keeps members engaged between trips through its “flywheel”. With more than 93 per cent of Canadian travellers taking three trips a year or fewer, everyday partnerships in coffee shops, grocery retailers and fuel providers fill the gaps. By connecting travel, retail, banking and rewards, Aeroplan turns loyalty from collecting points into an ecosystem built around everyday relevance.
Together, these examples illustrated how retailers need to build relevance from the first interaction and sustain it throughout the customer journey to strengthen long-term loyalty.
Turning data into action
Traditional sales data shows retailers what customers buy, but it can miss what they originally wanted and could not find. Hamidreza Moshrefi, PhD fellow in Operations and Retail Management at McGill, examined that hidden demand. His research found that roughly 20 to 25 per cent of otherwise lost sales could be recovered through cross-store fulfillment. The findings also suggested that more strategic inventory allocation, without increasing overall stock levels, could improve profitability by as much as four per cent.
The broader lesson echoed Kramer’s earlier point that real value comes from moving from insight to action. Here, understanding what customers tried to buy helped inform better decisions about where inventory should sit. Tracking unmet demand can help retailers recover sales and place inventory where customers are more likely to need it.
The day’s final session, led by Pinar Yildirim, associate professor of marketing and economics at the Wharton School, turned to the social side of digital platforms. Her research on a long-distance carpooling platform found that new users are drawn to the shared experience but tend to overestimate how much they will enjoy it, and adjust within their first several rides. Riders who ended up with company they hadn’t planned on were more drawn to shared rides the next time. In other words, the people customers meet can shape what they want next. It was a fitting reminder that platforms can set up an experience, but people shape a large part of it.
Looking ahead: Technology with intention
A recurring message throughout the conference was that new and evolving technologies alone will not define the future of retail. Rather, success will depend on how organizations choose to apply them across decision-making, operations and customer relationships. AI can enhance speed, personalization and access to insights, but its value ultimately depends on where and how it is used.
As an MMR student and young professional, attending the conference highlighted how closely the program is connected to the realities of today's retail industry. While AI is rapidly reshaping the sector, one reassuring theme emerged throughout the day: The future of retail is not about replacing people, but about using technology more intentionally while preserving the human judgment, context and trust that drive meaningful customer experiences.
I feel especially grateful to have been part of this year’s conference. Seeing classroom concepts come to life through industry case studies and conversations with retail leaders made the experience incredibly rewarding.
From the MMR Program
This recap was written by Lynn Zakhour, a student in McGill's Master of Management in Retailing (MMR) program at the Bensadoun School of Retail Management.
