Retail is undergoing an accelerated transformation, driven by technology, for personalization and customer experience, aspects that merge into a unified journey. Events like NRF 2025, the most relevant in the retail and consumer sector of the world, what happened in January in the USA, reinforce that the sector can no longer postpone strategic changes, because the present moment already demands new approaches to remain competitive.
Among the main trends in focus, presented at the NRF, five are essential for brands that want to lead this new era of retail.
The Unified Journey: A Seamless Experience
The consumer journey is increasingly integrated with the lines between the physical and digital worlds blurring. NRF 2025 highlighted the importance of providing an experienceseamless, this is, fluid, in free translation, in which the customer can start an online purchase and complete it in-store or vice versa
This customer interaction cycle requires:
- Channel integration:a holistic view of the customer, with data shared among the different touchpoints
- Personalization:offer of personalized products and services at each stage of the journey, from discovery to post-sale; and
- Ease:simplification of the shopping experience with agile and intuitive processes
In the United States, Starbucks is a successful example in implementing the journeyseamless. The coffee shop chain shows that retail, in different regions and business models, is replacing the fragmented view of purchasing with a holistic approach, that connects and integrates – with personalization and convenience – all points of contact with consumers
It also leaves another lesson: not to stagnate with success. Even in the face of the good results achieved, Deb Hall Lefevre, executive vice president and director of Technology at Starbucks, highlighted, on the panel about digital transformation, that the company "hasn't gotten there yet". For her, there is still a lot of work to be done in light of the diversity of franchises and business models spread across the regions of the country. The purpose of Starbucks, according to the executive, is to continue advancing in the unification of its channels to better serve. In Lefevre's words, "everything boils down", again, to a consistent touch experience
Retail Media 2.the audience at the center of the strategies
Retail Media is evolving into a new era where the combination of data and behavior allows for increasingly accurate consumer profiles to be built. This transformation has significant implications for retail
- Targeted audience:the ability to identify and segment the audience in a granular way allows for more targeted and effective campaigns
- Personalized messages:create personalized messages that resonate with the needs and interests of each consumer; and
- Optimization of results:measure the impact of campaigns and optimize strategies in real time
In the words of Pete Nordstrom, president and brand director of Nordstrom, the consumer journey, previously fragmented, now it unifies into an omnichannel experience, personalized and highly technological. The company, founded as a shoe store in 1901, in Seattle, it is a reference in innovation and shopping experience
Installed next to Central Park, the Nordstrom megastore focused on selling exclusive luxury items for the female audience. It combined the high value of brands like Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent with two floors of owned restaurants and cafes and highly personalized tailoring and makeup services offered by "Beauty Services". To exemplify the capacity for integration and convenience, a client of theflagshipyou can order a drink from one of the restaurants while trying on a dress. If you choose to have your meal at home, the establishments deliver to the requested address
The analysis of cases like Nordstrom's makes it clear that the future of retail is marked by the convergence of the physical and digital
Artificial Intelligence: the key to data analysis
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the way companies analyze and interpret large volumes of data. At NRF 2025, it became evident the importance of AI for
- Demand forecast:anticipate consumer needs and optimize inventories
- Mass customization:create personalized experiences for millions of customers; and
- Price optimization:define dynamic pricing based on demand and consumer behavior
This means that AI impacts decision-making, and this is a revolution that is just beginning. It is certain that it will transform everything we know, from business to consumer relations, of work and between people
The idea of disruption promoted by Artificial Intelligence has permeated numerous talks since the opening of the event, on the panel titledGame-Changing, presented by the CEO of Walmart and president of the NRF, John Furer, and by Azita Martin, vice president and general manager of AI for retail, from Nvidia. Beyond the literal translation "Game Changer", the term seeks to express the concept of disruption that the use of technology represents for the world from now on
Azita Martin justified the theme and told us about one of the processes applied by Nvidia in logistics. She said that, with software and cyclic testing of AI agents, it is possible to evaluate and refine how the system adapts to the unpredictability of the real world. In case an incident occurs along the planned route of the AMRs (automated mobile robots), computer vision updates the occupancy map in real time and sends it to the AI model with a new optimized route
This example demonstrates the ability of AI to model and adapt to real-time data, as observed in the distribution centers, optimizing logistics operations. Used to forecast demands, optimize prices, customize experiences and much more, given the ability to analyze large volumes of data, in retail, favoring faster and more assertive decision-making
In-Store: o novo digital
As we have already noticed, physical stores are transforming into increasingly digital and interactive spaces. Logo, the fourth highlight presented at NRF 2025 was the adoption of the same digital practices byin-store:
- Immersive experiences:use of technologies such as virtual and augmented reality to create unique experiences
- Integration with e-commerce:integrated online and offline options for purchase; and
- Real-time data analysis:collects customer data inside the store to personalize the experience and optimize operations
One of the giants of the luxury beauty market, a Sephora, showed that "omni" is not just a word and, yes, a strategy rooted in the company's DNA. Artemis Patrick, CEO of the company in North America, emphasized the network's long-standing commitment to a unified omnichannel approach. According to Patrick, massive investments in the digitalization of the in-storeinvolve, for example, the automation of payment methods so that the physical shopping experience has the same fluidity as online
OmniADS: the convergence of channels
Finally, the union of online and offline gave rise to a new concept: "OmniADS". This approach refers to the creation of campaigns that extend across all channels, offering a consistent and personalized experience for the consumer
NRF 2025 made it clear that the future of retail has already begun. The fusion between technology, personalization and integration is not just a trend, but the new rule of the game. The companies that implement these transformations, investing in technology, data and customer experience, will be prepared for the challenges of the market and to lead the next era of consumption. This is the opportunity to redefine strategies, reinvent experiences and achieve a new level of relevance
*Célio Martinez is CEO of Converta Ads
