2025 RETAIL TRENDS

NRF Vice President of Education Strategy Susan Reda forecasts 2025’s retail trends

NRF Vice President of Education Strategy Susan Reda forecasts 2025’s most impactful and exciting retail trends. From innovative AI agents to the rise of live shopping to the rebirth of brick-and-mortar stores, the future of retail is bright.

How AI Agents Will Shape 2025

You can’t have a conversation about the future of retail without talking about two important letters: AI. While artificial intelligence has been around for years, AI agents will be the real agents of change in 2025 and beyond.

“ AI agents, while not brand new, will shape 2025 because of what they’re able to do with the shopping experience,” Reda says. “If AI is the big raw brain power, then the developers are giving some parameters to the agents so they can take that data and actually make it make sense for those of us out there. Being able to use a chatbot that takes the data the retailer has and gives you back a response that’s really defined for you is going to change the way we shop.”

Building connections through social shopping

Another trend that’s alive and growing is live shopping experiences, where brands host online shopping events and encourage consumers to engage with the brand as they shop. Retailers like Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’,s and QVC (the original live shopping innovator) have already seen success with the format.

“What brands continue to learn is that it’s an extension of social media and content strategy,” Reda says. “So if a brand can plan using social media and put out there that they’re going to host an event for spring fashion, they’ll get consumers to join because it’s part of the fun and energy of retail to be on the sidelines — or in this case, watching a screen — as that unfolds and be among the first to buy the latest, greatest outfit for spring.”

The rebirth of retail stores

Reda believes brick-and-mortar stores will never go away, but they will experience an exciting makeover with the growth of experiential shopping. “For some, it could be that you’re operating a store in one area of the mall, but you put a pop-up at the other end that’s just trend-focused in some way. Pop-ups are really important. People love the energy of, ‘I gotta be there and buy it while it’s hot,’” Reda says. “You have to really understand what customers want. Is it a fun drink when they walk through the door? It could be anything, but it’s based on who your customer is. It’s tailoring that experience and keeping it fresh so that when they come they say, ‘Wow, I have to go back again!’”

Why the future of retail is bright

While Gen Z is making waves in retail, Reda thinks the Alpha generation is really the one to watch. “They all have their way of thinking and about putting themselves together.  They’re not following the rules and brands love that,” Reda says. “ I think that the future is bright for retail because they are energized by product and they are creative. Yes, they’ve grown up as digital natives, but that’s only a good thing for retail right now. It looks very positive going forward.”