As retailers look to the work ahead in 2026, digital accessibility compliance may well be on their radar. The threat of legal or regulatory action for non-compliance with laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the now-enforceable European Accessibility Act (EAA) isn’t going away. But in retail, digital accessibility doesn’t just help organizations avoid compliance risk. It drives real impacts:

• 88% of retail professionals say accessibility gives them a competitive advantage.

• 97% say it improves customer satisfaction.

• 80% say it boosts acquisition.

• 94% say it increases revenue.

These stats from our seventh annual State of Digital Accessibility Report, make it clear that retailers have begun to understand accessibility as an important advantage. And this is no surprise, when thought about in practical terms:

• An e-commerce checkout flow with an inaccessible promo field leads to abandoned baskets.

• A loyalty app update that isn’t navigable to a customer using a screen reader leads to support center spikes.

• An inaccessible store locator means customers won’t hesitate to take their business to your competitor across the street.

Accessibility drives usability—it is at the core of the user experience. When incorporated strategically, it can spark design innovations that enhance the appeal of digital assets and maximize potential customer reach. That reach is fast becoming a crucial differentiator in crowded categories where product and price differentiation has become more difficult.

But despite retail professionals recognizing these advantages, not every organization has been able to consistently embed best practice to reap these benefits. More than two-thirds of the global retail professionals we surveyed reported their organizations were involved in legal or regulatory action related to digital accessibility complaints in the past year. In the age of omnichannel retail, where digital portfolios are scaling across e-commerce sites, mobile apps, loyalty platforms, digital kiosks, and in-store digital touchpoints, practical challenges and competing organizational priorities often leave retail leaders with insufficient time, resources, and crucially, processes to address accessibility issues.

Accessibility is no longer compliance work; it is a growth lever that expands markets and improves experiences for every customer.

The Promise of AI

In light of all this complexity, AI is emerging not just as an efficiency driver, but as an accelerator for digital accessibility in fast-moving digital environments. At Level Access, for example, we’ve embedded AI into our market-leading testing, remediation, and reporting capabilities to accelerate safe and reliable accessibility at scale. Our research shows budgets dedicated to digital accessibility are on the rise, and that many organizations are seeking AI-powered solutions as part of their strategy. Nearly every retail professional (96%) we surveyed said AI capabilities will be a key consideration when purchasing accessibility solutions this year.

AI is helping automate much of the manual, time-consuming work that previously slowed progress in digital accessibility efforts. Of course, when trained on an organization’s goals and data, it supports efficient auditing and faster remediation cycles. It’s also helping organizations to embed accessibility knowledge in daily processes, ensuring that standards are met consistently, and allowing for easier progress reporting.

However, especially when it comes to accessibility, AI cannot replace lived experience and human guidance. As our Chief Accessibility Officer Jonathan Avila has explained,

“While AI tools and automation are transforming accessibility, a balanced approach … is essential. Designers, developers, and content authors must continue to strive for accessibility from the outset, complemented by AI-driven aids and endpoint solutions that improve efficiency to ensure that all content is universally accessible.”

Investing in people and processes

So, while retailers looking to seize their competitive advantage should absolutely invest in AI-powered solutions, this should be done alongside an investment in people. Training and education are vital to help teams understand how to incorporate best practices and advanced tooling effectively within their roles.

According to our research, where accessibility training is “highly effective,” organizations are 2.5 times more likely to approach accessibility proactively. And from our 2024 survey, we know that retailers who approach accessibility proactively are 50% more likely to say it has contributed to “much improved” revenue.

In our experience working with the world’s leading retail and e-commerce brands, good education improves accessibility governance. It ensures conformance with established standards is being accurately monitored and progress is being made against the organization’s overarching accessibility goals. This ultimately means accessibility investment is sustained, maximizing an organization’s return on investment over time.

Boosting business outcomes: How to play your part

As retailers look to gain an advantage, this blend of AI efficiency with human oversight and upskilling will help retailers meet rising consumer expectations and head off legal risk. But accessibility champions cannot do this game-changing work alone. Our research shows that where executives are “highly supportive” of digital accessibility, respondents were almost seven times as likely to say that digital accessibility contributes to improved revenue for their organization.

When senior leaders champion accessibility, teams gain the clarity, resourcing, and cross-functional commitment needed to make progress stick. It signals that accessibility isn’t a legal or technical afterthought, but a strategic business priority.

For retail executives, this support can take several practical forms:

• Set clear expectations: Include accessibility in strategic plans, digital roadmaps, and KPIs across product, design, engineering, and store operations.

• Model accountability: Request regular visibility into accessibility performance, just as you would for conversion, NPS, or operational efficiency.

• Champion a culture of inclusion: Encourage teams to incorporate lived experience from people with disabilities, customer feedback, and user testing into everyday work.

• (If and how you can) Allocate sustainable resources: Fund the tools, training, and governance needed for continuous improvement—not one-off fixes.

When executive involvement is visible and consistent, retail brands stop playing compliance catch-up, and start driving outcomes. And while it may be tempting to believe that accessibility issues will “solve themselves” with the rise of AI, the reality is much more complex. The accessibility advantage for retail brands is only attainable when AI solutions are combined with an investment in training and strong governance, and accessibility programs are given the executive support they need. This approach will ensure accessibility compliance standards are maintained, and the good work being done by retailers to acquire and retain customers continues—no matter what the digital landscape has in store for us next.

Retailers are heading into 2026 with familiar pressures. Industry reports show shoppers are becoming more selective and prioritizing purchases that feel worth the money. These shifts in what, where and how people buy are being shaped by social influence and the digital platforms guiding discovery and decision-making. Inflation, agentic adoption, evolving tariffs and tight margins also remain part of day-to-day planning.

Most leaders respond with a mix of tools. They sharpen promotions, lean harder on forecasting and keep investing in eCommerce channels. All that matters, but there is another growth lever sitting outside the typical merchandising and marketing conversation: Business buyers.

Retailers already have them in their checkout, but there’s an opportunity to move from passively serving those buyers when they show up, to intentionally targeting them. Especially since in the U.S., B2B eCommerce site sales are on track to top $3 trillion by 2028, according to eMarketer.

B2B retail growth depends on removing payment friction, not adding complexity to already strained financial workflows.

The next growth segment is already in your checkout

Once you look at these buyers as a defined segment, the value becomes clear. Research shows 95% of business buyers use corporate credit cards at least once a month. For larger or recurring purchases, more than half say they prefer to pay by invoice, or buy on terms, rather than pay at the point of sale. For retailers, these are buyers who place larger orders at a steady cadence, offering more stable and reliable revenue over time.

Many retailers already serve small businesses, schools and local organizations through existing eCommerce channels and in store. The shift is to recognize them in your checkout, invite them into a business program and make sure the payments experience fits in with how they manage cash flow.

For most of these buyers, the shopping journey is similar to how they shop in their non-business lives. It often starts with the same search, navigation and product pages built for everyday shoppers. The difference shows up at payment and after the sale. They care about payment choice, invoicing and the clear visibility into spend so they can reconcile charges quickly.

Payment choice builds loyalty for B2B buyers

For years, B2B commerce lagged the consumer world when it comes to checkout, but that gap is closing. Business buyers expect the same simple, flexible experience they get in their personal lives, but it but it accounts for the added complexity of business purchases.

In this environment, payments choice is not a nice-to-have. It should sit at the center of the experience. B2B transactions often involve larger orders, approval workflows and procurement rules, so a single default payment method will not work for every account.

Research shows 72% of business buyers are more loyal to companies that provide their preferred payment options and 51% would switch merchants for flexible terms. Another 86% say having their preferred payment option is important and many will walk away if it is not available.

These buyers still use corporate cards because they are simple and familiar. But when the order is larger or recurring, many prefer to buy with net terms so offering both options is imperative. Pay by Invoice lets approved buyers place an order today and receive a detailed invoice later that supports recordkeeping, procurement and cash flow. According to a recent report by Flagship Advisory Partners, SMBs gain working capital flexibility by using net terms as a financing tool, while large enterprises consolidate many purchases into a single monthly payment, simplifying approvals and reconciliation.

Retailers that tailor payment options by buyer segment make it easier for those customers to keep coming back.

What does it take to capture business buyers?

The same Flagship analysis, which looked at the NRF Top-30 U.S. retailers and Top-20 E.U./ U.K. retailers, uncovered corporate buyer programs are becoming increasingly prevalent. Some retailers have developed sophisticated, tailored solutions for business customers, while others continue to manage corporate buyers like consumers, overlooking the revenue opportunities.

What separates the leaders is how they operationalize the program. They lean on automation behind the scenes to make B2B purchasing consistent and scalable, rather than a series of one-off exceptions. An intentional B2B program means validating buyers, assessing credit risk, issuing accurate invoices and seamlessly managing collections.

When those steps are handled manually, they are often slow and error-prone. Business buyers feel that right away. They run into long onboarding processes, invoices that do not match negotiated pricing and confusing dispute paths. The result is abandoned applications, delayed orders and, in some cases, lost relationships.

Retailers need an intentional approach to attract and retain business buyers. Instead of building a full credit and collections operation from scratch, they can standardize and automate key steps in the order-to-cash process so approvals are faster, Pay by Invoice works the same online and in-store, and invoicing and reconciliation become routine. The technology or partner model will vary, but the goal is the same: give B2B buyers the same smooth experience as any other customer, with added control over credit, invoicing and reconciliation.

2026 is the right time for a strategic B2B focus

In 2026, treating B2B as a core part of the retail strategy is a practical way to build revenue. It starts with recognizing business buyers in the checkout, offering them the payment choice they expect and making sure the mechanics behind the scenes are as well designed as the front end of your eCommerce site.

For the last decade, the retail narrative has been simple: stores are fading, e-commerce is inevitable, and convenience wins every time. That story no longer reflects what we’re seeing on the ground. In conversations with retailers across the country — and in Adyen’s latest retail research — a different picture is emerging: physical retail isn’t just alive; it’s evolving, and in many cases, outperforming digital when it matters most.

During Black Friday, for example, in-store transactions averaged 28% higher value than online purchases. Shoppers aren’t drifting into stores out of habit or necessity, they’re going intentionally, and they’re spending more when they do. That means that the retailers winning right now are the ones paying attention to how consumer expectations are shifting, sometimes in surprising ways.

Why Shoppers Are Choosing Stores Again

Despite all the taps, swipes, and same-day delivery promises, shoppers still love a good old-fashioned try-before-you-buy moment. Forty percent of consumers go in-store specifically to see, feel, and test products before purchasing. For Boomers and the Silent Generation, that number can reach 70%.

Loyalty today is earned through flexibility across channels, inventory, and payments, where every connected system helps retailers close sales and retain trust.

But confidence in knowing what they’re purchasing isn’t the only draw to returning to stores. Thirty-four percent of shoppers say they genuinely enjoy the in-store experience, while another 34% value the instant gratification of walking out with their purchase in hand. No shipping delays, no porch piracy, and no return labels.

There’s also the practical side of in-store shopping to consider. With shipping fees creeping higher, economics are certainly playing a role in shopping choices. Forty-two percent of Boomers say avoiding shipping costs is a primary reason they shop in person, this drops to 28% for Millennials.

Ultimately, today’s shoppers want the confidence of physical retail paired with the speed, flexibility, and personalization they’ve grown used to online. And that’s where the pressure really starts for retailers.

Welcome to the Impatience Economy

Retailers are investing heavily to get shoppers through the door—beautiful stores, curated assortments, knowledgeable staff. But nearly half of those efforts can fall apart in the final moments of the journey at checkout.

We’ve grown accustomed to everything happening in an instant, which means our tolerance for friction is basically zero. Thirty-nine percent of shoppers will abandon a purchase if payment takes too long, and 49% will walk away if they can’t use their preferred payment method.

Nearly half of shoppers are leaving, not because they didn’t want the product, but because paying for it was too hard.

The challenge for retailers? Consumers now use 10+ different payment methods, with preferences split across debit (36%), credit (18%), cash (18%), and a rapidly growing mix of digital wallets. During Black Friday alone, digital wallet usage at the point of sale jumped from 21% to 33% year over year.

Payment choice isn’t a perk anymore, it’s a prerequisite.

Checkout is the Experience Now

Retailers are seeing what’s happening and adapting fast. According to our 2026 Retail Report, self-checkout usage climbed to 59%, up 13% year over year, with Gen X and Boomers—yes, Boomers—leading adoption. Mobile handheld terminal usage also nearly doubled, jumping from 14% to 27%, allowing associates to close sales anywhere on the floor.

These shifts mean that payments aren’t just infrastructure anymore, they’re the final impression shoppers are left with. The last five feet of the store can either reinforce everything that came before or undo it completely.

Loyalty Lives (or Dies) in the Details

To shoppers, there’s no “before checkout” and “after checkout.” It’s all one seamless experience, or one broken one.

Nearly half of Americans say they prefer retailers that remember their preferences and personalize the experience. Loyalty also rises when flexibility is built into the journey: 60% are more loyal to retailers that offer buy online, return in store, and another 60% say loyalty increases when out-of-stock items can be ordered in store and shipped to their home.

Put simply, loyalty today is earned through flexibility across channels, inventory, and payments. When systems are connected, stores can still close the sale even if the shelf is empty. When they aren’t, customers don’t just leave empty-handed, they leave frustrated.

AI Enters the Chat and the Checkout

At the same time, a much bigger shift is quietly reshaping how people shop. AI is no longer just suggesting what to buy, it’s starting to buy for us.

Fifty-one percent of U.S. shoppers are open to letting AI handle the entire purchase process on their behalf. AI shopping assistant usage has nearly tripled year over year, rising from 12% to 35%.

This marks a massive shift from “AI helps me browse” to “AI just takes care of it.” It’s one of the biggest behavioral changes we’ve seen since the rise of e-commerce.

It’s become impossible for retailers to ignore, and 88% are open to agentic commerce, and more than half call it a top strategic priority. But there’s healthy caution too, around data security, costly mistakes, and losing direct customer relationships.

The retailers who win won’t be the ones who resist AI or blindly hand everything over to it, they’ll be the ones who use AI to simplify decisions, remove friction, and strengthen trust, while staying transparent and accountable.

The Retailers Who Win from Here

The future of retail isn’t physical versus digital. It’s friction versus flow.

Shoppers want stores that inspire, checkouts that disappear, payments that adapt to them, and technology that works quietly in the background. Physical retail’s second act is already underway, with stores becoming experience hubs while AI and modern payments handle the transactional heavy lifting.

The retailers who earn loyalty in 2026 won’t do it with a single innovation. They’ll do it by getting hundreds of small moments right, especially the last one.

In a world defined by impatience, choice, and expectations, every second counts and every tap matters.

Over the years, I’ve watched loyalty programs evolve through many phases. Points programs became digital. Digital became mobile. Mobile became personalized. And yet, despite all of that progress, many retailers are still asking the same question: Why does loyalty feel harder to earn than it used to?

Today’s customers are thoughtful and intentional. They decide where to engage, where to spend, and where to stay based on what makes sense for them right now. Loyalty programs are no exception. Customers are quietly evaluating whether a program is worth their attention by asking simple, practical questions: What does this give me? How does it make my life easier, better, or more rewarding today?

When programs struggle to answer those questions clearly, customers don’t necessarily complain; they disengage.

Loyalty That Moves With the Customer

The most effective loyalty programs today don’t stop at the register or live only inside an app. They move with the customer across physical and digital touchpoints, showing up in ways that feel natural rather than forced.

Strategic partnerships are essential. Partnerships shouldn’t feel bolted on or transactional—they should align with how customers already spend their time and what they already value. For example, a retailer might start by rewarding shoppers through its own loyalty program, then extend value by allowing customers to redeem points within a bank’s loyalty program, a wellness app, or other lifestyle services they already use. By meeting customers where they already engage, loyalty shifts from managing a program to supporting meaningful, ongoing relationships.

That said, there’s still an emotional element to loyalty. Customers enjoy feeling recognized and appreciated. But that recognition needs to feel genuine. Customers are quick to sense when loyalty is being engineered rather than earned.

Loyalty today is earned through relevance and recognition, not discounts that train customers to wait for the next deal.

Loyalty as a Shared Value Exchange

One of the most important shifts retailers need to acknowledge is that customers don’t organize their lives around brands. They move between work, family, wellness, finances, travel, and leisure, often all in the same day. Loyalty—when it works—fits into that broader rhythm rather than asking customers to step outside of it.

Loyalty can no longer be treated as a self-contained marketing tool. It has become a shared value exchange: customers bring their attention, data, and engagement, and in return, they expect relevance, flexibility, and benefits that feel useful beyond a single transaction. Many retailers feel pressure to deliver everything on their own; every perk, every experience, every benefit. That expectation isn’t realistic, and customers know it. The brands that are performing best are the ones that recognize their role within a larger ecosystem and design loyalty accordingly.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

* Meet customers where they are. Understand their lives, routines, and the moments that matter, then deliver value that fits naturally.

* Focus on experiences, not just transactions. Customers increasingly care about wellness, convenience, lifestyle perks, and flexibility.

* Expand through partnerships. Strategic alliances allow brands to deliver value that feels broader and more relevant without trying to be everything to everyone.

* Make value obvious. Transparency is the new baseline. Customers want to see benefits, outcomes, and savings in real time.

For example, as an industry, we often point to Apple as one of the gold standard brand examples. Not because it has a traditional points program, but rather because it has a loyal following. They have a devoted customer base that eagerly seeks out the latest products, and when opportunities arise to gain additional value, which can be through partnerships, promotions or bundled experience, they become more motivated to engage and purchase. Apple’s loyalty comes from being present where it matters, and showing up across customers’ lives versus asking customers to chase rewards.

The lesson here is that retailers need to think more expansively. Customers don’t live within a single brand’s four walls, and loyalty programs shouldn’t be limited there either. Strategic partnerships and network expansion allow retailers to deliver value that feels broader, more relevant, and more human — without having to be everything to everyone.

Making Loyalty Feel Meaningful Again

Traditional earn-and-burn mechanics still have a place, but on their own, they no longer sustain long-term engagement. Discounts and points may drive short-term purchases, but they rarely create meaningful connections. Customers respond far more strongly to experiences that feel personal, purposeful, and connected to their lives beyond the transaction.

Rewards should be reimagined as extensions of everyday life, not just incentives to spend. Few retailers can deliver wellness, lifestyle, and experiential benefits on their own partnerships make loyalty richer, more human, and relevant. When points and perks are earned, experienced, and woven into everyday life, they create lasting engagement and emotional connections.

For example, a retailer could offer access to wellness workshops, meditation apps, or curated fitness classes. Or a program might provide early access to lifestyle experiences, flexible redemption options, or services that reduce everyday friction like grocery delivery credits or health-focused perks.

When loyalty feels tied to how customers live—supporting healthier routines, reducing stress, or giving back time—it becomes more engaging and easier to trust. A loyalty program that helps a customer book a yoga class, track wellness goals, or redeem points becomes meaningfully a part of a customer’s lifestyle.

Loyalty is a Relationship, Built Over Time

At its core, loyalty cannot truly be calculated or derived from the metrics of a campaign, solely. It’s a relationship that develops when customers feel understood, respected, and in control of how they engage.

We’re entering a new chapter in how loyalty is built, and trust will be the most meaningful measure of success. Brands that respect their customers’ intelligence, make value easy to recognize, and design programs that reflect how people actually live (not how we wish they would) are the ones that will build lasting loyalty and customer journeys that truly work.

When loyalty fits naturally into a customer’s world, it doesn’t need to be pushed. It’s simply chosen.