NRF is always a chance to step back and look at where retail is heading. This year, SYNQ is putting voice-enabled workflows at the forefront, showing how frontline teams can access real-time information through the tools they already use every day.
We sat down with our COO, Matt Vaillant, and Chief Technology Officer, Ryan Cooney, to talk about the shift toward voice, how it impacts daily operations, and what retailers can expect to see from us this year at NRF 2026.
The shift happening on today’s sale floor
AI is everywhere right now, but the most important shift is making that intelligence usable by the frontline. Retailers have invested heavily in digital systems, analytics, and automation, yet much of that innovation still lives away from the sales floor. Day-to-day store operations continue to rely on two-way radios, tools that are essential for communication but disconnected from the systems that hold context and data.
“Radios are what power most retail stores,” Matt explains. “Bringing AI into that familiar channel finally makes it accessible on the sales floor.”
What often gets overlooked is how frontline workers are actually expected to reach AI in the first place. “The part that people neglect to mention is how frontline workers are going to access that AI,” Ryan adds. “For the most part, it’s only the ones with a smartphone or Zebra device. Most retailers just don’t have enough of those for all their staff, so radios remain the main way teams connect.”
Why voice, and why now
Frontline work is hands-on by nature, which makes voice a natural interface. “Frontline workers need their hands,” Matt says. “Voice offers a powerful way to interact with systems that would otherwise require a keyboard.”
The timing also matters. Teams already carry voice-enabled devices, and speech models are now reliable enough to understand natural language in busy store environments. Ryan points to the customer experience as well. “When you can hear an associate asking your question out loud, it feels like progress,” he says. “That’s very different from watching them disappear into their phone to find an answer.”
What retailers will experience and take away at NRF
At NRF, retailers will see how AI Radio connects two-way radios directly to agentic AI and what that unlocks on the sales floor. “I’m excited to show attendees how powerful that connection is,” Matt says. “It’s a game changer for frontline workers.”
Seeing it in action often changes how people think about what radios can do. “Whether it’s product recommendations, inventory information, or SOPs, SYNQ AI Radio powers smarter workflows for the frontline,” Ryan explains. Radios become a real-time interface to the systems that support daily operations.
Just as important is the mindset shift that follows. Many intelligent tools are still designed around devices that only a small portion of the workforce carries. “There are roughly twenty times more radios in enterprise environments than Zebra devices,” Matt notes.
Ryan adds that voice goes beyond talking to an AI agent. “You can announce information, analyze historic voice traffic, and start to see patterns that were never visible before.” When radios become intelligent, device barriers disappear and the entire frontline gains access to modern systems.
See it in action at NRF 2026
We’ll be bringing these voice-enabled workflows to NRF 2026 in a few different ways. Join us for an in-booth presentation with Microsoft on January 13 at 1:00 PM ET at the Microsoft booth #4503, where we’ll walk through how AI Radio brings intelligence to legacy voice and supports frontline teams in real time.
You can also find SYNQ featured at the Zebra booth #3303 and as part of the NRF Innovators Showcase booth #8046.