Participating in NRF 2025, the world’s largest retail trade show held in New York, was a transformative experience. The event reaffirmed crucial trends for the sector and highlighted challenges that demand innovation, strategy, and technology from companies. Yes, artificial intelligence (AI) was omnipresent—but the future of retail is not limited to it. The show provided valuable insights into personalization, operational efficiency, customer experience, and the impact of new consumption dynamics.
One of the biggest challenges of modern retail is creating personalized and relevant experiences for consumers. The era of cookies is coming to an end, making it essential to adopt strategies that combine first-party data and intelligent solutions to understand and anticipate needs. AI and machine learning play a crucial role in this journey.According to Central do Varejo (June 2024), 47% of large e-commerce companies have already implemented AI to enhance their marketing strategies.
This use enables real-time behavior analysis, identifying purchasing patterns and preferences, and allows for personalized recommendations that optimize the user experience. With the automation of marketing campaigns, interactions become more relevant and assertive, increasing conversion rates.
Customer service efficiency has also emerged as a competitive differentiator. Research indicates that 70% of consumers prefer quick interactions via chatbots, according to a report by Freshworks Inc. and Toluna. The use of advanced chatbots and virtual assistants enables frequent queries to be resolved in real time, while a hybrid approach, combining AI and human intervention at the right moments, enhances the consumer experience. Sentiment analysis has become an essential tool, allowing businesses to identify dissatisfied customers and direct them to faster, more personalized support.
Another key topic at NRF 2025 was the discussion on cart abandonment, a recurring problem in e-commerce. With AI, it is possible to minimize this issue by personalizing offers based on browsing history and even local weather conditions. Automated alerts reminding customers about forgotten cart items and tailored offers can encourage conversion. Moreover, predictive strategies can identify behavioral patterns and offer strategic incentives to customers prone to abandoning purchases.
Operational efficiency was one of the major themes of the event. NRF reinforced the importance of intelligent inventory management, crucial for avoiding excesses and shortages. Machine learning has already established itself as an indispensable tool for demand forecasting, enabling automated restocking and integration with smart logistics. This reduces operational costs and significantly improves the shopping experience, ensuring products are available at the right time and optimizing delivery times.
With the growing restriction on third-party cookies, brands must reinvent their strategies to better understand their customers. Predictive analysis and programmatic advertising based on user behavior emerge as key solutions for this new landscape. The use of automated A/B tests helps optimize ads and promotions, ensuring greater impact and conversion. Without cookies, customer loyalty becomes even more critical.
At NRF 2025, it became clear that a diverse payment ecosystem and well-structured loyalty programs are the path to lasting engagement. The offer of digital wallets and flexible payment plans improves conversion, while personalized and exclusive benefits encourage repeat purchases. Consumer loyalty has become an increasingly valuable asset and an undeniable competitive advantage.
To conclude my experience during the event, I participated in a tour of some of New York’s most iconic stores, such as the Apple Store on 5th Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, and Hermès on Madison Avenue. What these stores have in common is extreme personalization in service and products, exclusivity in every detail of the experience, and highly skilled, passionate teams. This emotional connection with customers is what truly sets high-performance retail apart.
NRF 2025 made it clear that technology is a powerful tool, but it’s people who make the difference. Continuous team training and a relentless focus on the customer experience are the true drivers of success in modern retail. The challenge now is not only understanding these transformations but acting quickly to innovate and deliver unforgettable consumer journeys. The future of retail has already begun.
