Day three of the Digital Shelf Summit, hosted by the Digital Shelf Institute (DSI), provided the tools and insights that ecommerce professionals need to build AI-enabled omnichannel experiences.
On Wednesday, May 6, 2026, the Digital Shelf Summit concluded with DSI Day, featuring leading industry experts who shared their AI-forward strategies and guidance for navigating the complexities of modern commerce.
The location and the date of the 2027 Digital Shelf Summit were also announced: April 26–28 in Orlando, Florida.
DSI Day: Focusing on the ‘Strategic How’
DSI keynotes, interactive workshops, and breakout sessions covered how to lead through radical uncertainty, digital transformation, rapid AI advancements, and more.
Lauren Livak Gilbert, executive director of the DSI, kicked off the day with her session, “Humans, Algorithms, & Agents: The New Rules of Agentic Transformation,” highlighting the “fundamental shift in how organizations get work done.”
“The pace of change is faster than ever, and if everyone has access to the same technology as you, what differentiates you? It’s the decisions you make and how you execute them,” she says.
Livak Gilbert also imparted the importance of internal alignment: “The most important part is the culture and people inside your org, and I really encourage you to focus on that.”
Image Source: Salsify 2026
Lauren Livak Gilbert moderates a panel with KraftHeinz experts at DSS 2026
Context, Context, Context
It’s critical to start building a context layer that can help educate future agent-to-agent systems and hybrid models. To prepare for the AI shift, organizations must assemble cross-functional teams to adapt and scale their content rapidly.
“The amount of content needed by brands is expected to increase by 5x to accommodate the needs of agents,” Livak Gilbert says. “The threat isn’t AI replacing the work that we do. It just changes the work that we do. And it is important to open a transparent dialogue about that.”
How To Turn These Insights Into Action
Change management isn’t a nice-to-have, but a must-have as you consider implementing AI, Livak Gilbert says. As you dig deeper into your AI strategies, she recommends that leaders share examples, open up discussion, identify change champions, and start measuring adoption.
As Ashley Becker, vice president of global ecommerce capabilities at KraftHeinz, said during a panel discussion, “Momentum and alignment create the pathway for the team to move forward with speed, direction, and focus.”
Become a Digital Shelf Institute (DSI) Member
Join the DSI community, a dynamic ecosystem that equips you with the knowledge, connections, and tools to reach digital shelf excellence.
BECOME A MEMBER
Tag(s):
Digital Shelf Summit 2026
.svg)
