The year 2025 brings new challenges and opportunities to retail. Consumers are changing their shopping behavior faster than ever before, technology is developing at an unprecedented pace, and physical stores must adapt to keep up. What key directions should retailers monitor?
1. Unified Commerce – connecting all channels
Omnichannel has been discussed for years, but only a few chains have truly mastered it. Customers today expect a completely smooth connection between online shopping, mobile applications, and physical stores.
This means having a real-time overview of stock levels, the possibility of an “endless aisle” (ordering goods beyond the current in-store assortment), smart checkouts, or integration with the brand’s mobile app. The technology already exists – the key is to connect all parts of the customer journey into one functional whole.
2. Hyper-personalization through AI
Customers no longer want to be just a number in a table. They want retailers to offer them relevant products, discounts, and services that match their needs. And thanks to artificial intelligence, this is no longer science fiction.
Data-driven personalization allows the analysis of vast amounts of customer data and turns them into specific recommendations and loyalty benefits. For retailers, this means a stronger relationship with the customer, higher conversions, and better use of loyalty.
3. The Era of Choice – the customer decides
The modern consumer expects freedom of choice. They want to decide whether to use staff assistance or serve themselves. They want to be able to pay by card, by mobile phone, or in cash. They want the possibility to shop anytime and anywhere.
Research shows that up to 80% of customers consider a wide range of payment and shopping options to be essential. Retailers who fail to provide this risk that the customer will simply move to the competition.
Common denominator: zero tolerance for friction
Whether it’s about channel integration, personalization, or offering options, one thing is clear: customers today tolerate no obstacles. If they encounter a complicated process or a missing option, they simply go elsewhere.
The good news is that technology today can help retailers significantly. One of the key players is Glory – a global leader in payment automation and retail technologies. Its solutions significantly contribute to making the customer journey smoother and free of unnecessary barriers: • payment automation, • self-checkout, • multifunction touchscreens, • and a unified commerce platform that connects individual parts of the shopping process.
Albacon System is the exclusive distributor of Glory devices for the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Thanks to this, we bring top-class technologies to our market, helping retailers succeed in the new environment of 2025.
Source: Glory Global (2024). The Era of Choice: 3 Retail Trends for 2025. https://www.glory-global.com/en-gb/blogs/en_gb/2025/the-era-of-choice