Hybrid shopping and increasing the speed of data and analytics operations were among the topics at top of mind as retail business executives returned to the Javitz Center in New York City for the first time in two years for the National Retail Federation's Big Show. But in spite of the return to the in-person venue, the pandemic and retail's response to it remained central to the event's themes. Indeed, even with COVID precautions such as proof of vaccination required, many tech vendors pulled out of in-person participation at the last minute due to the predicted Omicron variant surge coinciding with the event's mid-January dates. "Together, we have come through a remarkable set of challenges," said Mike George, departing NRF chairman of the board in his keynote address. "In 2020, the pandemic put the world on hold but retail never stopped. We kept moving forward, striving and evolving to meet the rapidly changing needs of our customers and communities."