Financial management in retail should be seen as a strategy, not just a necessity for store operations and control. It saves businesses time and resources, strongly contributing to sales success. Moreover, the implementation of the Tax Reform, scheduled to begin in 2026, is another reason for merchants to stay updated on industry news.
“Next year, companies will face a major new challenge: understanding the Reform and how to take advantage of it without succumbing to its complexities. Complaining won’t help, and it’s necessary to have a ‘roll up your sleeves’ attitude right away,” comments Paulo Zirnberger, CEO of Omnitax, a company specialized in tax intelligence and fiscal solutions. “The sector is used to ‘making lemonade out of lemons,’ and this time, the impact won’t be just on the tax chain but on the entire retail industry,” he adds.
New technologies and artificial intelligence should aid in this protagonism, alongside digital payment platforms and Open Finance. To help companies not only during the Reform transition but in the long term, the executive shares five trends and technologies that should be present in the retail sector by 2025. Check them out:
1- Tax Reform Calculation Engine
The tax reform engine is a tool to guide companies in maintaining compliance with legislation. The idea here is to simulate operations, allowing managers to make real-time business decisions based on understanding each tax DNA. The solution operates in the cloud and can be connected to systems via APIs, making it highly connectable, simple, fast, flexible, and specialized.
“Never has the word ‘competence’ been so important. It’s expected that each company in the tax and financial ecosystem has its own, and it’s up to technology to deliver new capabilities for retail to face the challenges of the next ten years during the transition,” says Zirnberger.
2. Integration of artificial intelligence and automation
Artificial intelligence (AI) will greatly aid in transforming retailers’ tax and financial management, initially bringing legislative content and the ability to adapt operations and decisions in real time. With optimization, traceability, and predictive analysis tools, companies can project the best financial scenarios for their value chain to meet consumer demand, enabling strategic inventory planning and avoiding both excess and shortages of products.
“Moreover, this technology enables real-time price optimization, adjusting values based on variables such as legislation, market trends, competition, and customer behavior, which can maximize profit margins,” highlights the executive.
3- Digital payment platforms
E-commerce continues to be driven by the accelerated adoption of digital wallets and innovative payment methods like Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL). These systems enhance the consumer shopping experience, reach people more demanding about their payment methods, and create significant opportunities for companies to stand out in markets.
Digital wallets, for example, offer a fast, secure, and practical experience, aligned with the demands of modern consumers who prioritize convenience and technology. With them, there’s no need to provide data, physical or digital cards, and the purchase can be completed in seconds.
BNPL, which allows splitting payments into interest-free installments, caters to an audience seeking financial flexibility, especially among younger consumers.
4- Expansion of omnichannel and personalized experience
The convergence between physical and digital channels is changing how companies interact with their consumers. It allows consumers to move seamlessly between physical stores, e-commerce, mobile apps, and social media, maintaining the same level of quality and personalization in service.
This means the customer can, for example, start their shopping journey online, check product availability in a physical store, and complete the purchase in-person or vice versa. “Investing in omnichannel strategies that integrate different touchpoints into a consistent, personalized, and extremely fast experience is essential to increasing revenue and strengthening customer loyalty,” emphasizes Paulo.
5- Strategic use of real-time data
In retail, data is the main driver of operations and strategic decisions. With the advancement of Business Intelligence (BI) platforms, managers now have access to tools that offer a comprehensive, real-time view of their companies’ financial, operational, and commercial performance.
One of the main advantages of using BI integrated with the calculation engine in retail is the ability to analyze large volumes of data and convert them into real-time decisions. Increasing or reducing prices based on business knowledge is the new trend. The platforms integrate information from multiple sources, such as point-of-sale (POS) systems, e-commerce, social media, and consumer feedback, creating a solid foundation for decision-making.
6- Open finance and personalization of financial services
The advancement of Open Finance continues to allow consumers to share their financial data securely and controllably. This change creates a new scenario where merchants have access to detailed information about their customers’ financial profiles, which, in turn, opens doors to a range of personalized opportunities.
“With consumer consent, companies can access information about their behavior, such as purchase history, payment habits, and credit capacity. By obtaining this data, merchants can develop products and services that directly meet each customer’s demands and preferences, increasing conversions,” concludes Paulo.
