The NRF Retail’s Big Show 2025, held in New York from January 11th to 14th, brought indispensable discussions for the future of retail, highlighting the transformations driven by generative artificial intelligence (AI) and retail media networks.
The coordinator of ESPM’s retail center, Ricardo Pastore, was present at the event and states that the debates on generative AI demonstrated how this technology is reshaping the daily operations of retail companies’ offices. ‘From the creation of automated omnichannel marketing campaigns to product personalization and operational optimization, AI promises to enhance business efficiency and enrich the customer experience,’ he says. Pastore, however, believes its integration requires cultural changes, focusing on team reskilling and creating a collaborative environment between humans and machines.
Retail Media was pointed out as one of the main monetization opportunities for retailers. ‘Transforming physical and digital spaces into advertising platforms and data hubs for brands is a strategy that not only increases revenue but also strengthens retail’s role as a direct connection point with consumers,’ adds the coordinator of ESPM’s retail center. During the event, some platforms were presented in a self-service model, aiming to provide retailers with a mechanism to manage processes that will have advertisers on one end and consumers on the other.
Pastore says the fair was a show in itself, with technologies like smart carts, automated price displays, and interactive displays that represent the future of physical stores. ‘These innovations are not just isolated solutions but parts of an integrated approach that combines experience, convenience, and data into a single ecosystem.’
Based on his immersion at NRF 2025, the ESPM professor emphasizes that retail is undergoing a profound transformation, where the balance between technology and humanization will be essential for success.
