Financial management in retail should be seen as a strategy, and not just a necessity for the operation and control of the stores. She saves time and business resources, strongly contributing to sales success. And more: the implementation of the Tax Reform, scheduled to start in 2026, it is one more reason for merchants to keep up with the news in the sector
Next year, companies will face a great and new challenge, what it means to understand the Reform and how to take advantage of it without succumbing to the complexities. It's no use complaining and it's necessary to have the 'get to work attitude' from now on, comment Paulo Zirnberger, CEO of Omnitax, company specialized in tax intelligence and fiscal solutions. "The sector is used to 'making lemonade out of lemons' and", this time, the impact will not be limited to the tax chain, but in all retail, continue
New technologies and artificial intelligence should help in this protagonism, next to digital payment platforms and Open Finance. To help companies not only during the transition of the Reform, but in the long term, the executive shares five trends and technologies that should be present in the retail sector in 2025. Check it out:
1- Tax Reform Calculation Engine
The engine of tax reform is a tool to guide companies in staying compliant with the legislation. The idea here is to simulate operations, allowing managers to make business decisions in real time, based on the understanding of each tax DNA. The solution works 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 is expected that each company in the tax and financial ecosystem has its own, it is up to technology to deliver new capabilities for retail to face the challenges of the next ten years, during the transition, Zirnberger states.
2. Integration of artificial intelligence and automation
Artificial intelligence (AI) will greatly assist in the transformation of tax and financial management for retailers, initially bringing the legislative content and the ability to adapt operations and decisions in real time. With optimization tools, traceability and predictive analysis, companies can design the best financial scenarios for their value chain in order to meet consumer demand, allowing for strategic inventory planning and avoiding both excess and shortage of products.
"Furthermore, this technology enables real-time price optimization, adjusting values based on variables such as legislation, market trends, competition and customer behavior, what 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 the Buy Now, Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL). These systems facilitate the shopping experience for consumers, they reach more demanding people with their payment methods and create significant opportunities for companies to stand out in markets
Digital wallets, for example, they offer a quick experience, safe and practical, aligned with the demands of modern consumers, that prioritize convenience and technology. With her, it is not necessary to provide data, physical or digital cards, and the purchase can be completed in seconds
Now the BNPL, that allows dividing payments into installments without interest, caters to an audience seeking financial flexibility, especially among young people.
4- Expansion of omnichannel and personalized experience
The convergence between physical and digital channels is changing the way companies interact with their consumers. It allows consumers to transition smoothly between physical stores, e-commerce, mobile applications and social networks, maintaining the same level of quality and personalization in service
This means that the customer can, for example, start your online shopping journey, check the availability of products in a physical store and complete the purchase in person or vice versa. Invest in omnichannel strategies, that integrate different touchpoints into a consistent, personalized, and extremely fast experience, "it is essential to increase revenue and strengthen customer loyalty", highlights 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 gain access to tools that provide a comprehensive and real-time view of financial performance, operational and commercial of your companies.
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 decreasing 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 in a secure and controlled manner. This change creates a new scenario, in which merchants have access to detailed information about their customers' financial profile, what, in turn, opens doors to a series of personalized opportunities
"With the consent of consumers, companies can access information about their behavior, as purchase history, payment habits and credit capacity. Obtaining this data, merchants can develop products and services that directly meet the demands and preferences of each customer, increasing conversions, finalizes Paulo
