NRF Europe makes Paris the European hub for global and technological retail
From visitor profiles to the solutions on display, NRF Retail’s Big Show Europe aims to position the Parisian trade show within a global retail ecosystem, while asserting its unique European identity and technological focus.
The NRF Retail’s Big Show Europe trade show is running until Thursday, September 17 at Porte de Versailles. It is the result of a partnership between the National Retail Federation (NRF), the American retail trade association, and Comexposium, the former organiser of Paris Retail Week.
For its second edition, FashionUnited investigated whether this is a simple rebranding exercise or a genuine strategic transformation.
Annabelle Serres, events director for Siec and NRF Retail’s Big Show Europe at Comexposium, acknowledged in an interview with FashionUnited that the new trade show was built on the foundation of Paris Retail Week's exhibitors and visitors. She rejects the idea of a simple name change, however. “It’s not a rebranding; it’s an event launch”.
Internationalisation: NRF expands visitor base beyond Europe
NRF Europe aims to be the European version of a global platform, which already takes place in New York and Singapore.
The director states that the visitorship of NRF Retail’s Big Show Europe is now 50 percent French and 50 percent international, with over 60 countries represented in total, for approximately 300 exhibitors.
Among the international attendees, she mentions the UK, Spain, Italy and Germany. There are also visitors from America, Asia, South America, and particularly Brazil. “Brazilian brands want to establish themselves in Europe,” she specified.
Paris is not intended to be a copy of New York, however. “My main objective is to establish the NRF brand in Europe and therefore adopt the New York codes,” explained Annabelle Serres. “This includes the Main Theater, dedicated to major conferences; the Exhibitors Big Ideas, designed more like workshops where companies present concrete case studies; and the Innovator Showcase, which brings together companies selected for their innovations.”
Global technology but local deployment
The exhibitors are primarily solution providers for retailers, who make up the trade show's visitors. The solutions presented must be adapted to the specific characteristics of each market.
In Paris, exhibitor stands offer technologies compatible with the European market. IT systems, payment, security and data management are not necessarily transferable as-is from one continent to another.
Above all, this edition places AI at the centre of its activities. The theme “The Next Now” signifies the shift from foresight to deployment. The question is no longer what AI will enable, but how to implement it in business.
“This is the most significant shift because it affects all areas of retail,” commented Annabelle Serres. “Every time we address a topic, AI is behind it: supply chain; inventory; production; content generation; marketing; communication, and so on.”
Exhibitors embody the technological positioning
The American company Cartesian, which develops a solution for locating products equipped with RFID chips in stores, is presenting its innovation in Europe for the first time after participating in NRF New York.
“We saw that NRF was coming to Paris, so we came for this trade show,” shared chief operating officer Matthew Habel, who plans to participate in NRF New York in early 2027 and is considering a return to Paris.
Its solution is deployed in nearly 1,000 stores and is already present in several European markets, including France, Spain, the UK, Poland and Germany.
The Barcelona-based company Artiso offers fashion brands an AI platform covering various stages: inspiration and design; product variations; technical elements; styling; and campaign imagery. The company embodies the growing importance of AI in the trade show's offerings and, by extension, in the creative process.
The platform is customised according to each brand's identity, archives, season and specific codes. The founders present at the stand, Sarah Iglesias Hiller and Lucas Pastur Romay, explained that the project stemmed from their experience at Mango, where they had been working on AI-related transformation since 2022.
Could AI make a good artistic director? The question is worth asking.