Akeneo Unlock 2026: What Chicago revealed about the future of the product experience

“The Great Restack” – AI is transforming the commerce stack

The theme of Unlock 2026 was “The Great Restack”. The message behind it was clear: AI will not simply be another channel in the commerce landscape, but will transform the entire technology stack from the ground up.

 

Akeneo CEO Romain Fouache, co-founder Fred de Gombert and numerous other speakers highlighted just how rapidly product experience management is currently evolving. AI-powered product searches, agentic commerce and intelligent automation are no longer mere future scenarios.

 

Shopify’s figures also highlighted just how dynamically the market is changing. AI-powered product searches and automated purchasing decisions are increasingly becoming a reality. This brings one topic even more into focus: the quality of product data.

 

Furthermore, other topics such as intelligent pricing, digital showrooms and central product data platforms also clearly indicated the direction of travel: product experience is increasingly becoming a central business issue that goes far beyond traditional product data management.

Of course, there were also plenty of specific product updates at the event. Particularly impressive was the live demo of “Ziggy”, Akeneo’s AI assistant. Whether it’s planning tasks, creating workflows, preparing content or activating rules – much of this now happens automatically and directly within the PIM. Ziggy isn’t a traditional chatbot, but rather a team member working behind the scenes. 

 

The “Multichannel Hydra”, as Akaneo calls her, kept popping up at the event and was even on hand for photos – just as you’d expect from a community manager. Because Ziggy isn’t just Akaneo’s new AI assistant, but has also been their mascot, pet and community manager since 2016.

Networking, city views and genuine Unlock moments

What makes Unlock special every year is not just the sessions, but above all the conversations in between. In two days, there are often more strategic discussions than there usually are in several months via email.

 

Alongside the official programme, there was of course time to experience Chicago. Between keynotes and networking, we explored the city.

 

Two recommendations are in order here:

• Yolk: breakfast of a standard that justifies any long-distance journey.
• 11 City Diner: a classic American diner with neon signs, a legendary menu and Salvatore’s absolute recommendation.

Of course, the traditional Unlock Party was a must. Arcade games, bowling, karaoke, basketball machines and plenty of informal chats outside the official agenda created exactly the kind of atmosphere that makes events like this so special. And by the time he reached the table tennis table, Thorsten Scherff had proven that CTO can apparently also stand for ‘Champions Table Tennis Officer’.

What we’ve learnt from Chicago

Unlock 2026 demonstrated one thing above all else: AI is already transforming product experience and commerce today, not just sometime in the future.

 

Many tasks that were previously carried out manually are increasingly being automated, such as enriching content, adding attributes, checking data quality or personalising product experiences. At the same time, demands on data quality, integrations and intelligent system architectures are rising.

 

The topic of MCP and agentic workflows remains particularly exciting for us. It is precisely here that new opportunities are currently emerging for companies to use their product data more efficiently, intelligently and scalably. Those who invest in this area now will secure a structural advantage.

 

The role of PIM and DAM is also changing noticeably. 

Product data, assets, commerce processes and AI are becoming increasingly intertwined. We see enormous potential here for more efficient processes, consistent digital experiences and significantly better data quality throughout the entire customer journey.

Why Chicago was worth it

Chicago has shown that Akeneo has long since evolved from a traditional PIM provider into a comprehensive platform for Product Experience Intelligence.

 

For us at RYZE Digital, that is precisely what makes the partnership so exciting. Developments in AI, automation, product data and intelligent integrations confirm the direction we have already taken with our PIM and DAM solutions.

 

We’re taking lots of fresh inspiration, discussions and ideas back from Chicago and look forward to turning them into concrete digital solutions together with our clients.