NRF 2025 Highlights: Transforming the Future of Retail
We exhibited at the recent NRF and boy was it exciting…The annual National Retail Federation (NRF) event is not just an event — it is an opportunity to see retail innovations, ideas, and listen to transformative discussions. If you missed the event, here are the key highlights we experienced.
1. The Rise of AI in Retail
Artificial Intelligence (AI) took center stage at NRF 2025, with numerous sessions and exhibits dedicated to how AI is reshaping everything from customer experience to supply chain operations.
The promise in AI is primarily around productivity increases, eliminating manual labor or helping scale complex tasks. Key applications showcased:
- AI Based Benchmarks: Benchmarking retail success is difficult. Retail is broad and success relies on many parameters such as assortment, pricing, channels to revenue etc. Recent AI developments now allow retailers to benchmark themselves across these key areas to be able to know if they are ahead of their competitors or behind
- Predictive Analytics: AI helps brands optimize their growth and operations. For example, forecasting inventory demands, reducing waste and ensuring real-time stock availability across channels. This is very challenging, as the more channels to purchase the harder it is for retailers and brands to keep track of stock (in store purchases, online, delivery services…). AI-driven systems enable retailers to anticipate demand and provide a consistent level of service.
- Conversational AI Agents: Advancements in generative AI, such as chatbots, are revolutionizing customer service, offering dynamic and engaging conversations that mimic human interactions, thus boosting conversion rates.
2. Omnichannel
Omnichannel has been a topic at NRF for several years, but at NRF 2025, it got much more attention, mainly as it has become a more complex topic. As a consumer today you can buy a product in store, online (with or without store pickup), via delivery services and apps…making it much more complex to analyze and plan for. Key areas covered:
- Unified Data Infrastructure: As customers want consistent experiences regardless of where they shop, retailers are working tirelessly to unify online and offline data to provide real-time accurate product information, pricing, and loyalty rewards. Retail teams supporting these initiatives need access to the right timely data in a format that is accessible to them like dashboards or BI so they can be efficient in driving action forward. Retailers that recognize this (the need for the right data in the right format for each team) will outpace competitors as their teams will drive data backed decisions faster.
- Phygital (Physical + Digital) Experiences: Retail stores are being reimagined as experiential hubs that need to be analyzed on one hand and more flexible and nimbler in terms of adopting to an ever-changing consumer preference on the other hand (Just like Sephora recently announced a redesign to its entire North American store fleet). Some new digital touchpoints such as AR mirrors and virtual try-ons were demonstrated as ways to make a store experience more dynamic and future ready.
- In Store and Online Combined Analytics: Retailers are still struggling with putting together a holistic picture of analytics on in-store and online demand as well as competitive landscape
3. Startups and Disruptors: The Innovation Lab
NRF 2025’s Innovation Lab was a buzzing hub where over 100 startups displayed groundbreaking ideas. From AI-powered Retail Benchmark to Self-Checkout to Returns Optimizations, these disruptors provided a glimpse into the retail industry’s next wave of innovation.
Standout innovations included:
- AI-powered Retail Benchmark analytics for real time business decision making
- In store robots optimized for such environments
- Smart shelving solutions that monitor inventory in real time
It was great to see how startups are reimagining the retail landscape, solving problems that were once considered unsolvable and turning solutions into reality.
Conclusion: Retail’s Bright Future
Retail is a complex business, it relies on a complex mix of assortment, on omnichannel sales, seasonal changes, and changing consumer preferences. Retail is tough!
After hundreds of conversations with retailers from around the globe, I am grateful for everyone’s time and feedback.
What I’ve learned is that:
- Data is high on the priority list, getting the right data to the right person in the right packaging is also critical to make use of it
- AI as expected was front and center as well, offering productivity gains and possible uplift in business
- Benchmark intelligence is key to measure if you are heading in the right direction or staying behind
Looking forward to the next NRF!!!
