Big events bring important trends and reflections. This time, NRF 2025, held at the Javits Convention Center in New York, showed that, even with all the digital strength, physical stores continue to be the heart of local retail, integrated with the most advanced technologies to meet sector demands. During the event, discussions focused on topics such as technology, customization, social commerce, and the reinvention of physical stores, transforming them into unique and unforgettable experiences for consumers.
Considered the largest and most influential 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 group present at the event and serving 70 countries with digital solutions for fashion and retail, participating in the event was an opportunity to bring innovations that really make a difference in people’s daily lives.
“Unique experiences, connection with the community, and integration with online are the keys to transforming retail. Our commitment is to continue innovating to surprise and facilitate the customer’s journey,” he states.
Among the main trends presented, César points out four highlights that drew attention 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, lies in dreaming big, starting small, and acting quickly.
In practice, the application of AI in retail involves collecting customer data to create personalized real-time experiences, such as product recommendations and automated interactions through chatbots. It also allows optimizing the purchasing process, making it more efficient and intuitive, and helping in creating personalized marketing campaigns.
The key is to start with simple solutions, conduct quick tests, and continuously enhance based on feedback received, ensuring a continuous personalization that better meets customer needs and creates a frictionless experience. This means providing customers with a simple, smooth, and obstacle-free process throughout the entire brand interaction journey, whether in physical stores, online, or in other channels.
“The idea is to minimize or eliminate any barriers that may cause dissatisfaction, delays, or difficulty for consumers through an intuitive website or app, fast navigation, reducing queues with self-checkout kiosks, for example, or even implementing efficient chatbots or virtual assistants,” says 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 full of storytelling and design that delight consumers.
Social commerce on the rise: Social commerce brings the convenience of purchasing directly on social media platforms, utilizing 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 buy products, creating new opportunities for engagement and loyalty.
Sustainability here to stay: It means offering products that are durable and ethical, in addition to 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.
According to the director of IRRAH, NRF 2025 made it clear that the future of retail needs to balance technological innovation with a strong human connection, reinforcing the vision of always putting the customer first. “We are attentive to market transformations, but above all, we seek solutions that truly have a positive impact on the lives of our consumers,” said Baleco. And he concludes: “With these trends that were widely discussed and highlighted during the NRF, the Group remains aligned with the changes shaping retail, investing in technology and purpose to continue surprising and delighting its customers.”
