The retail market is constantly evolving, and with the arrival of 2025, consumer expectations have never been higher. Trade marketing and visual merchandising strategies, for example, play a fundamental role in building an engaging shopping experience and converting consumers.

However, there are recurring errors that, if not corrected, can compromise the performance of any retailer. I would like to highlight ten of these errors and offer suggestions on how to avoid them, ensuring that trade marketing operations continue to be a growth lever.

1. Lack of personalization in actions

One of the most common mistakes is applying the same approach to all clients. In 2025, preferences are increasingly segmented, and what worked for an audience a few years ago is no longer effective. Customization should be the key to any action at the point of sale.

What to do:Get to know your consumer in depth, use data to segment and create campaigns that speak directly to the interests and behaviors of each group.

2. Misalignment between online and offline actions

The integration between the physical and digital worlds has never been more important. Many retailers still make the mistake of treating these two fronts as disconnected, creating a fragmented experience for the consumer.

What to do:Ensure that POS actions and e-commerce strategies are aligned, creating a fluid and coherent purchasing journey for the customer.

3. Disregarding the customer experience at the POS

The point of sale should not be just a transaction location, but an engaging interaction point with the brand. Many retailers still treat it as a simple product display space, without concern for the experience provided to the consumer.

What to do:Invest in a store design that is interactive and attractive, and train your staff to provide a unique shopping experience.

4. Ignoring the power of visual merchandising

Visual merchandising is crucial to arouse consumer interest. Simple mistakes, such as disorganized product displays or not understanding how visual elements influence purchasing decisions, can significantly harm results.

What to do:Invest in layouts that guide customers naturally through the store, highlighting products strategically and leading them to purchase actions.

5. Lack of results monitoring

The lack of measurement and monitoring of trade marketing actions results is a mistake that many make. Without data, it is impossible to assess the effectiveness of a campaign or optimize future actions.

What to do:Use monitoring and analysis tools to understand the impact of your actions and make data-driven decisions to adjust and improve performance.

6. Not training the sales team

The sales team is one of the main agents of influence at the POS, but is often neglected when it comes to specific training on trade marketing and visual merchandising strategies.

What to do:Invest in ongoing training for your sales team, ensuring they understand campaign objectives and know how to best communicate product benefits to customers.

7. Lack of flexibility in actions

In such a dynamic environment as retail, maintaining rigid and inflexible actions can be a fatal mistake. The market and consumer needs change rapidly, and rigid actions can harm the customer relationship.

What to do:Maintain an agile approach, be ready to adapt your campaigns and offers according to changes in market behavior and context.

8. Not focusing on the complete purchasing journey

Many retailers still make the mistake of focusing only on one part of the customer journey, whether on initial marketing or on the purchase completion. Not understanding the consumer's decision-making stages can compromise the effectiveness of your actions at the point of sale.

What to do:Map the complete customer journey and create strategies to support and engage customers at every stage of the buying process.

9. Underestimating the importance of promotions

Product promotion is one of the most effective ways to increase sales, but many retailers still make the mistake of not making these promotions attractive or poorly positioning them within the store, directly impacting the success of the action.

What to do:Create impactful, visible and well-positioned promotions, according to the consumer profile and purchasing behavior identified at the POS.

10. Neglecting sustainability in actions

The modern consumer is more attentive to the sustainability and social responsibility of brands. Ignoring them in trade marketing actions can result in a disconnect with the target audience.

What to do:Adopt sustainable trade marketing practices and, when possible, use recyclable materials or more ecological solutions in campaigns and visual merchandising.

As can be seen, 2025 brings new challenges and opportunities for retail. By avoiding these crucial mistakes and adopting a more strategic approach aligned with consumer needs, brands can ensure superior performance at the point of sale.

Trade marketing and visual merchandising should be seen as part of an integrated ecosystem, where all aspects of the consumer experience are taken into account. To succeed, it is necessary to invest in data, training, innovation, and flexibility, as well as a deep understanding of consumer behavior and market trends.

According to the "Febraban Banking Technology 2024" survey conducted by Febraban and Deloitte, seven out of ten banking transactions carried out by Brazilians happen via mobile phone. Data like this has been becoming increasingly common in recent years, after all, the financial market is at the forefront of sectors that are digitizing rapidly – including the foreign exchange area. And it is in this context that technologies like e-FX (electronic exchange) are transforming the way companies handle process digitization.

Let's think for a minute: the foreign exchange market is a hub of global opportunities, but it also presents several challenges related to its volatility and issues linked to increasing global uncertainties, such as geopolitical tensions and rapid economic changes. When we extend this reflection to the technological realm, it increases due to the growth of complex cyber threats.

In short, the e-FX solution addresses these topics by providing company leaders with one of today's most precious assets, which is speed.

Trend anticipation

Predicting market movements accurately, using real-time data and advanced analysis, is essential in the foreign exchange market. The e-FX is entirely structured based on this objective.

Platforms aggregate information such as exchange rates, global economic indicators, and trend reports, helping managers identify patterns and make more informed decisions. Furthermore, the solution has been integrated with predictive tools based on big data, allowing companies to analyze large volumes of information to anticipate volatilities and proactively adjust their risk strategies, optimizing both financial protection and operational performance.

These advantages are particularly essential for small and medium-sized companies, which often lack the technological infrastructure capable of handling the challenges of the digital economy. With intuitive interfaces and dedicated technical support, as well as cybersecurity-integrated features, e-FX facilitates this transition, adapting to the needs of smaller entrepreneurs.

Solid Cybersecurity

Regarding protection against cybercriminal attacks, e-FX platforms use a robust set of security measures to safeguard data and transactions. Among them, end-to-end encryption, which protects information during transit, and multi-factor authentication (MFA), which adds an extra layer of protection to sensitive access, stand out.

Continuous monitoring systems also help identify anomalous activities in real time, while advanced firewalls and intrusion prevention mechanisms (IPS/IDS) protect systems against external attacks. Additionally, many of these technologies adhere to strict compliance standards such as ISO 27001 and PCI DSS, and conduct regular audits to ensure adherence to best cybersecurity practices.

In other words, more than detecting divergences in expected patterns and allowing preventive actions (such as temporarily blocking a transaction or requesting additional confirmation from the client), e-FX is a facilitator of corporate governance.

Continuing educationIt is possible to perceive from these characteristics how e-FX platforms are entirely accurate on their own in meeting the major demands of the foreign exchange market. However, it is of no use to incorporate an innovative tool like this into corporate processes without ongoing digital education.

Training employees to handle the emerging challenges of the sector is no longer optional. With constant changes in the regulatory landscape and the emergence of new cyber threats, it is essential for teams to understand system vulnerabilities, best risk mitigation practices, the importance of solid compliance, and, of course, the benefits gained from operational efficiency.

Inclusive, digital education is the gateway to establishing governance protocols that ensure the effective implementation of innovative technologies, the creation of clear policies, frequent audits, and the use of key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of the integrated resources. From a structure like this, updating the organizational culture and monitoring the market becomes a less complicated mission.

Being fast is possible in the foreign exchange sector. And it is a possibility that does not eliminate safety, so it deserves the attention of anyone concerned with good risk management.

The practice ofnetworkingNowadays, it is almost unanimous in companies, regardless of the sector or size. After all, when employees start to get to know each other, interact, and work together, they begin to have more and more exchanges. This interaction can be quite powerful, capable of enabling positive partnerships, not only in the short term but especially in the long term, both for personal life and professional life.

Some may see thenetworkingIt's just a relationship of interest, but I don't believe in that. The truenetworkingIt is much more related to creating connections with people where value can be generated for both sides. And how does this happen? Starting from partnership constructions, sharing ideas and information, and even referrals for job openings or promotions within the company itself.

Think with me, would you suggest someone you consider untrustworthy for a position? The answer is simple: of course not. Besides not believing in the work of the person in question, you also run the risk of harming yourself in the future, since you would be taking on a risk, at the very least, unnecessary. In other words, this only demonstrates the importance of this practice and how essential it is to seize the opportunities that arise.

And it is precisely in these attempts to re-enter the job market, through a new job, thatnetworkingcan make a difference in a person's life. According to data provided by a study conducted by theHarvard Business School, more than 70% of job vacancies are filled through contact networks, which only reinforces the need to build and cultivate good relationships established in the work environment.

In this sense, it is mistaken to think that exchanges should only occur with people from the same sector and area of expertise. Whether you like it or not, this attitude ends up limiting you a lot because it doesn't allow you to explore different spaces. Keep in mind that the more diverse your relationships are, the greater the range of possibilities for you, whether for learning or for an eventual career transition. You never know.

However, do not despair thinking that you need to talk to many people at the same time. Believe me, the quality of connections is more important than the quantity. Therefore, I consider it essential to learn how to cultivate these relationships, which are based on trust and respect. THEnetworkingGenuine brings opportunities and eventually the best results for both parties.

Along with that, I also think that someone will only recommend you if you really do a good job and have an appropriate attitude. You need to leave a mark and become a positive reference for people in what you do, because that can be the differentiator. You need to have substance, not just appearance. With that, your long-term results tend to be better.

In an increasingly dynamic and competitive world, transforming ideas into effective solutions requires more than creativity; it demands strategic vision, the ability to identify real needs, and the skill to design products that solve problems and create significant impact. This process, of course, does not happen immediately; it involves research, planning, and collaborative execution, resulting in innovations that can shape behaviors and markets.

To identify and prioritize the needs of the target audience, the first step is to listen carefully to what they have to say. This can be done through qualitative research, such as direct interviews and focus groups, where we can capture not only explicit pain points but also the unspoken ones. Next, use behavior analysis tools such as Google Analytics and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) platforms, which help us identify consumption patterns and preferences. Finally, validating hypotheses with minimum viable prototypes (MVPs) allows for adjusting solutions before launch, ensuring that the product meets expectations and solves real problems.

Multidisciplinary synergy

Team collaboration is also essential to turn ideas into products that truly work and make an impact. Each area brings a unique perspective to the process: design focuses on the user experience, ensuring the product is intuitive and accessible; marketing validates the solution's appeal with the audience, adjusting communication and positioning; and technology ensures that execution is efficient and scalable. Working in an integrated way avoids silos and creates a smoother workflow, where problems are solved quickly and balanced solutions emerge. This synergy not only accelerates the development process but also ensures that the final product aligns with market expectations and the company's strategic objectives.

How to measure the relevance of a product in the market?

To assess the impact of a product, it is important to monitor metrics that measure both consumer adoption and retention. The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is an essential metric to assess customer satisfaction and loyalty, while recurring usage rates and engagement help to understand how much the product integrates into the audience's routine.

In the financial aspect, indicators such as LTV (Lifetime Value), CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost), and ROI (Return on Investment) provide a clear view of the product's sustainability.

Finally, tracking qualitative feedback, such as spontaneous testimonials and social media interactions, provides valuable insights into consumer behavior and perceptions, allowing for ongoing adjustments to maximize impact.