Overheard at SPECS 2026
Insight was abundant at Chain Store Age’s 62nd annual SPECS Show, the leading event for retail and restaurant design, construction and facilities maintenance professionals, which was held March 8–10 at the Gaylord National in National Harbor, Md.
The event featured 30 targeted sessions and keynotes focused on the fast-changing retail landscape with plenty of networking opportunities and a dynamic exhibit floor. As in past years, prominent keynote speakers and retail industry experts were on hand to share insights.
Below is a sampling of some of their remarks.
“Success stems from starting small and not being ashamed to take that first step. You build from the small steps, not the giant one.”
-Alex Rodriguez, 14-time Major League Baseball All-Star, MLB analyst and entrepreneur (and SPECS keynoter)
“Retail is media, theatre, the element of surprise and using space to create an obsession."
-WD Partners' executive VP creative Jay Highland
"Humans solve problems -- that's what we do. AI will free us up to do that,"
-Trend forecaster Mark Zinder
"Companies don’t grow. People do.”
-Sterling Hawkins, partner, Sterling Hawkins Group
“We are putting actual tools into the hands of our students. They are not only learning how these tools work, they are also learning how to complete projects. We are giving first-hand opportunities to students between fourth and eight grade. Teaching CTE [career and technical education] earlier than high school expands potential career path opportunities and could potentially fill the talent pipeline.”
-Evin Jarrett, educator, Philadelphia School District, and producer of the district’s “The Dope Student Podcast”
“There is a strong business case around data-driven design processes. Interoperability supports zero lost data; accuracy and fidelity shaves off between 20% and 30% of re-work, and scalability supports portfolio-wide insights.”
-Bianca Doerschlag, VP, WD Partners
“Don't be afraid to embrace uncomfortable realities. We are auto-tuned for survival. But when we 'commit' to leaning into the uncomfortable, we open ourselves up to opportunities.”
-Sterling Hawkins, partner, Sterling Hawkins Group
“Our goal was to create a sensory experience where New Yorkers could come and spend time. It was important to blend localized design elements and technology to support that.”
-Susanna Forteleoni, director of retail U.S., Nespresso
“Historically, we designed a store, built it, operated it until it ‘broke', and then forgot the lessons learned during the process. We need to break that mindset and rely on data insights."
“Intelligence collected in existing facilities feeds future site selection, decisions around repairs and other updates required to optimize the portfolio. Use data from your existing fleet to de-risk your future pipeline."
-Paul Tidwell, VP of technology, Praxent
