NRF 2027 Retail's Big Show Guide: Dates, Costs & Buyers
By Ilyas Kerbal,
NRF 2027 Retail’s Big Show runs from 10 to 12 January at the Javits Center in New York, and the National Retail Federation expects more than 41,000 industry professionals. It is the main annual event for retail leadership and retail technology.
Retail executives come for keynotes on the state of the industry, while about 1,000 solution providers fill the expo with commerce, payments, store tech, supply chain and AI. This guide covers costs, the audience and how vendors can secure meetings in a very busy week.
NRF 2027 Retail’s Big Show at a glance
| Next edition | 10-12 January 2027 |
| Venue | Jacob K. Javits Convention Center |
| City | New York, New York, USA |
| Typical month | January |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Attendance | ~40,000 (41,000+ expected in 2027) |
| Exhibitors | ~1,000 solution providers |
| Industry | Retail & retail technology |
| Organizer | National Retail Federation (NRF) |
| Official website | nrfbigshow.nrf.com |
About NRF Big Show
NRF’s Big Show is the main annual event for retail leadership and retail technology. Executives from department stores, grocers, specialty retailers and brands attend keynotes on the state of retail, while the expo hall is filled with commerce, payments, store-tech, supply-chain and AI vendors.
Many retailers bring large delegations, and the event has a strong international component, with delegations from Europe, Latin America and Asia.
Location and venue
Javits Center, Manhattan (West Side).
Does it change location? No. New York every January.
Panorama of the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan. Photo by Luca Bravo on Unsplash.
NRF Big Show attendee profile
- Retail C-suite and VPs
- Merchandising, store operations and supply-chain leaders
- CIOs and digital leaders
- Brand executives
- International retail delegations
- Retail-tech vendors and investors
Few events put this many decision-makers in one place. Senior leaders attend to evaluate vendors and meet partners, which is exactly why pre-booked meetings work so well here.
Exhibiting or attending NRF Big Show? I can deliver the NRF Big Show attendee and exhibitor list, enriched with job titles, company size, industry and LinkedIn profiles, as a CRM-ready file before the event starts. Ask for your NRF Big Show list on Prospector
Industries and niches covered
- Store technology, POS and payments
- Commerce platforms and e-commerce
- Supply chain and inventory
- AI, data and personalization
- Loss prevention
- Retail media and marketing
- Workforce management
Why B2B teams should care about NRF Big Show
NRF is one of the few places where retail C-suites, merchandising heads, store operations leaders and CIOs gather in large numbers. Retailers often attend in delegations, and international groups from Europe, Latin America and Asia add even more decision-makers.
For retail-tech vendors, the opportunity is clear and so is the competition. Senior retail leaders get dozens of meeting requests, so the vendors who succeed are specific: they know which retailers are coming, who is in the delegation and what problem to lead with.
Should you go to NRF Big Show?
Best for: B2B teams with a clear ideal customer profile in retail, a defined meeting goal and someone ready to run outreach four to six weeks before the event.
Less ideal for: companies hoping to generate leads purely from booth traffic. At NRF Big Show, the strongest results come from meetings booked in advance, not from walk-ups.
Passes and pricing
| Option | Price / details |
|---|---|
| Also good to know | Prices vary by attendee type (retailer vs solution provider), NRF membership and date |
| Also good to know | Retailers pay much less than vendors/solution providers |
| Also good to know | Check nrfbigshow.nrf.com/register for current rates |
| Typical cost | Retailers typically low four figures or less; solution providers several thousand dollars. |
Prices change between editions and by registration date, so treat these as a guide and check nrfbigshow.nrf.com before you buy.
Does NRF Big Show have an app?
NRF publishes the official NRF Big Show app with agenda, expo map, attendee networking and meeting scheduling.
Event apps are built for attendees, not for sales teams. You can usually browse profiles one by one, but connection requests are capped, many profiles are half empty, and there is rarely an export button. That makes the app useful on site and frustrating for planning.
NRF Big Show: strengths and weaknesses
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Senior retail decision-makers in one place | Expensive for non-retailer vendors |
| Strong international delegations | January in New York, weather and hotel costs |
| Very sales-friendly culture with booked meetings | Very competitive vendor environment |
| Retailers often attend at reduced rates |
A pre-show prospecting plan for NRF Big Show
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Early planning | Pull the attendee, exhibitor and speaker lists and score them against your ideal customer profile. |
| Pre-show outreach | Contact your top tier personally and your second tier with a short sequence. Aim to book meetings, not booth visits. |
| On site | Work from a printed or mobile list of priority accounts and use breaks and evening events for warm introductions. |
| Post-show | Follow up fast, share what you promised, and keep the list for next year’s edition. |
International retail delegations usually arrive with a fixed schedule built weeks in advance. If they are a target, contact the delegation organiser or lead well before the end of December.
Pre-booked meetings beat booth traffic. If you want a clean, segmented NRF Big Show list to work from, reach out on Prospector and tell me who you want to meet.
Frequently asked questions
When is NRF 2027 Retail’s Big Show?
10-12 January 2027. Dates can shift, so confirm on the official website (nrfbigshow.nrf.com) before booking travel.
Where is NRF Big Show held?
Javits Center, Manhattan (West Side).
Does it move? No. New York every January.
How much does a NRF Big Show ticket cost?
Retailers typically low four figures or less; solution providers several thousand dollars. See the pricing table above for pass types.
Who attends NRF Big Show?
Mainly retail C-suite and VPs; merchandising, store operations and supply-chain leaders; CIOs and digital leaders; brand executives.
Can I get the NRF Big Show attendee list?
Event organisers rarely sell attendee lists. Prospector builds one for you from the event app and website: attendees, exhibitors and speakers, enriched with job title, company, company size, industry, LinkedIn profile and work email where available, delivered as a CRM-ready file before the event. Ask about NRF Big Show here.
Get the NRF Big Show attendee list
If NRF Big Show is on your calendar, the best time to build your target list is now, while there is still time to book meetings. Contact me on Prospector with the event, your target roles and your CRM, and I’ll tell you what I can deliver and how fast.
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Photo credits
- Cover image: Photo by Eduardo Soares on Unsplash
- In-article image: Photo by Luca Bravo on Unsplash
Sources
Event details were last checked in October 2026. Dates, venues and prices can change, so confirm them on the official event website.