By Tom Ryan
A
t the NRF '25 Big Show, held in mid-January at New
York City's Javits Center, technology again took center
stage, with an emphasis on the myriad ways retailers can
modernize their operations. In addition to AI and Social
Commerce, the economy and sustainability were also key
talking points. Here, five takeaways:
AI Set To Reinvent Retail
e majority of the education sessions at the NRF conference
and expo focused or at least touched on the promise of artificial
intelligence (AI) to transform everything from supply chain functions
to back office, inventory, customer experience and personalization.
Doug Herrington, CEO, Worldwide Amazon Stores, believes the
changes brought on by AI will be similar to those seen aer the
internet arrived. He said, "It's going to lower costs, improve quality.
It's going to help us develop new customer experiences. And it may
even spawn new retail formats."
David Roth, CEO of e Store, the WPP-backed global commu-
nications and public affairs consultancy, said AI "promises to be
the most transformative leap in retail since the invention of coins
and paper money."
Azita Martin, VP and general manager of Nvidia, stated, "Is
NEWS & ANALYSIS
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM
THE NRF '25 BIG SHOW
