Major events bring us important trends and reflections. This time, NRF 2025, held at the Javits Convention Center in New York, showed that, despite the strength of digital, physical stores remain the heart of local retail, integrated with the most advanced technologies to meet the sector’s demands. During the event, discussions focused on themes like technology, personalization, social commerce, and the reinvention of physical stores, transforming them into unique and unforgettable experiences for consumers.
Considered the largest and most influential trade fair in the sector, NRF, organized by the National Retail Federation, gathers market giants, visionary startups, and technology experts every year to discuss the future of commerce. For César Baleco, CEO of Grupo IRRAH, a Paraná-based group present at the event that serves 70 countries with digital solutions for fashion and retail, participating was an opportunity to bring innovations that truly make a difference in people’s daily lives.
“Unique experiences, community connection, and integration with online are the keys to transforming retail. Our commitment is to keep innovating to surprise and simplify the customer journey,” he states.
Among the main trends presented, César highlights four key takeaways that stood out during the event and how they work in practice:
Customer-centric technology:Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming retail, enabling personalization at scale and experiences that reduce consumer effort. The secret, according to experts, is to dream big, start small, and act quickly.
In practice, applying AI in retail involves collecting customer data to create real-time personalized experiences, such as product recommendations and automated chatbot interactions. It also optimizes the purchasing process, making it more efficient and intuitive, and helps create personalized marketing campaigns.
The key is to start with simple solutions, conduct quick tests, and continuously improve based on feedback, ensuring ongoing personalization that better meets customer needs and creates a frictionless experience. This means offering the customer a simple, smooth, and obstacle-free process throughout their entire journey with the brand, whether in-store, online, or through other channels.
“The idea is to minimize or eliminate any barrier that could cause dissatisfaction, delays, or difficulty for the consumer through intuitive websites or apps, faster navigation, reducing queues with self-checkout, or even deploying efficient chatbots or virtual assistants,” comments César Baleco.
Stores as connection hubs:Transforming physical stores into connection hubs means creating immersive and interactive spaces that go beyond simple product purchases, offering experiences that establish emotional connections between customers and the brand, strengthening loyalty. Examples like IKEA and LEGO perfectly illustrate this approach by creating environments filled with storytelling and design that delight consumers.
Social commerce on the rise:Social commerce brings the convenience of shopping directly on social media, using influencers to create an authentic and engaging experience, as well as leveraging features like live shopping to boost sales. It transforms how consumers discover and purchase products, creating new opportunities for engagement and loyalty.
Sustainability is here to stay:It means offering durable and ethical products, as well as adopting responsible business practices. By aligning with environmental preservation and social justice values, brands can retain conscious consumers who seek to make a difference through their purchasing choices.
For IRRAH’s director, NRF 2025 made it clear that the future of retail must balance technological innovation with strong human connections, reinforcing the vision of always putting the customer first. “We are mindful of market transformations, but above all, we seek solutions that positively impact our consumers’ lives,” stated Baleco. And he concluded: “With these trends widely discussed and highlighted during NRF, the Group remains aligned with the changes shaping retail, investing in technology and purpose to continue surprising and delighting its customers.”
