Keeping Commerce Human: What NRF 2026 Taught Us About Live Video Selling
At NRF 2026, one message cut through all the AI noise: the brands winning online are the ones keeping humans in the loop.
We're in the middle of a massive shift. Shoppers no longer want to scroll through hundreds of products alone, they want answers, guidance, and confidence. That's exactly what live video selling delivers.
The Problem Retail Still Hasn't Solved
Despite billions spent on AI and automation, 93% of consumers still prefer human interaction Retail Customer Experience when making considered purchase decisions. And brands that went all-in on bots in 2024 and 2025 are now paying for it in lost trust and lower repeat rates.
The gap isn't between online and offline. It's between cold digital experiences and the warm, expert-led conversations that happen in your best physical stores every day.
Live video shopping bridges that gap.
From Scrolling to Buying: What Live Shopping Actually Does
Think about your highest-converting in-store moments. A knowledgeable associate asks the right questions, understands what the customer actually needs, and walks them to the right product. That's what a live video shopping session replicates. This offers the option for online, at scale, for any customer, anywhere.
Shoppers who engage in a live chat or video session convert at 4x the rate of those who browse alone. For high-value categories like luxury, automotive, beauty, electronics, real estate, that difference is the whole business.
At NRF 2026, Getbee founder Thea Myhrvold summed it up: "We're moving from scroll-based to goal-based shopping."
Virtual Appointments: The High-Touch Moment That Closes Sales
Virtual appointments are the live video selling use case most brands aren't fully exploiting yet, and it's where the biggest returns are hiding.
Whether it's a luxury jewelry consultation, a skincare routine walkthrough, a car configuration session, or a complex electronics purchase — a booked one-on-one video appointment with a brand expert does things no product page ever can:
- It answers the real question behind the question
- It builds the personal trust that drives purchase confidence
- It creates the kind of experience customers tell other people about
- It captures qualitative insight your click data never will
Brands using Getbee's live video selling software see conversion improvements of up to 30% on high-value items and can be live in less than a week.
Why 2026 Is the Year to Get This Right
Three forces are converging right now:
1. Consumers expect human access online. The pandemic normalized video calls for everything. Shoppers now expect brands to be reachable via video — not just chat widgets and FAQ pages.
2. High-value omnichannel buying is surging. Between 2023 and 2024, luxury goods saw a 36% rise in omnichannel buying, consumer electronics grew 30%, and cosmetics climbed 26%. These shoppers want guidance and not just information.
3. Your store associates are your most underused digital asset. You're already paying for product experts. Live video selling turns them into an on-demand digital sales force available to any customer, globally.
What Getbee Does
Getbee is live video selling software built for brands that sell consultatively. We connect online shoppers directly to your product experts and in real time, in a branded video call, from browse to checkout.
No third-party platforms. No cold handoffs. Just better conversations that lead to higher conversions.
Industries we serve: luxury retail, automotive, real estate, beauty, electronics, financial services, and any brand where the sale requires a real conversation.
Ready to add live video selling to your online store? Better conversations lead to higher conversions.
Book a free demo → getbee.com/demo
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