3 Top Tier Trends to Expect at NRF 2025

NRF, Retail’s Big Show, is back again for another year of exciting innovation. NRF 2025 will showcase what some of the biggest brands have to offer the retail scene. Held at the infamous Javits Centre in New York City, this year’s event is set to be a ‘game changer’ with attendees getting to hear directly from global thought leaders and gain knowledge on what will be shaping the future of retail in 2025.

With an expected 39,000 attendees and over 5,000 brands expected to be attending the event, retailers will have the opportunity to connect with some of the most well-known experts, peers, and technology leaders from across the globe. Ahead of the show, we’ve outlined three key trends that attendees can expect to witness at NRF 2025…

Focus on Interactive In-Store Experiences

The ongoing phase of the customer coming first has never been more important for retailers. For many brands, this has meant pulling out all the stops to ensure customers have an enjoyable as well as interactive experience. Reflecting on 2024, 91% of shoppers reported a positive association with a brand after attending an experiential event in-store. Therefore, attendees of NRF 2025 can expect exhibitors to prioritize sharing their knowledge on how to make the customer journey a memorable one.

Likewise, interactions on the shopfloor are becoming a pivotal part of the shopping experience. It is estimated that brick-and-mortar stores will drive 72% of the total US retail sales by 2028. With the role of brick-and-mortar stores only becoming more important, retailers will need to ensure they have the right tech on hand moving in 2025 to cater to evolving consumer needs..

At NRF, brands will have emerging technologies such as mobile point of sale  (POS) solutions on display to showcase how the customer experience can be streamlined from start to finish. By investing in the right tech, in-store associates can spend less time on repetitive and time-consuming tasks and more time on creating meaningful in-person experiences.

Teamwork Commerce will be demonstrating its Mobile POS at NRF 2025, displaying how retailers can deploy efficient POS technology, making it simple and quick for associates to operate while providing a top-tier customer experience.

Getting Ahead Of The Game With Tech

NRF has continued to showcase innovative technologies such as AI and RFID to help brands address ongoing challenges, improve the customer experience, and drive efficiency. NRF 2025 is going to be no different. Attendees can expect the launch of new cutting-edge solutions that are designed to help retailers deal with today’s issues such as in-store theft, supply chain losses, and inventory management. Also on the agenda for this year, attendees can expect to see how advancements in AI can enable retailers to deliver a personalized shopping experience for customers while streamlining operations.

Meanwhile, the show is also likely to put significant focus on theft prevention technologies. Reports from CBS have identified that the ongoing issue of retail theft is showing no signs of slowing down as the first half of 2024 saw a 24% rise in shoplifting. In fact, statistics indicate that shoplifting could cost retailers over $150 billion in 2026 in the US. As a result, retailers have started to lean on tech to identify theft attempts and mitigate them.

Previously, the show has displayed a range of anti-theft retail tools powered by RFID technology to enable retailers to keep track of stock to high-spec cameras and alarms to ensure full visibility over all processes in the store. The fight against retail theft is still a prevalent topic for retailers so it is safe to expect a lot of insights into what brands can do to stay on top of their game.

At NRF 2025, attendees can expect live demonstrations of Teamwork’s Commerce RFID Powered Self Checkout solution that streamlines product scanning allowing customers to checkout in 30 seconds or less. The solution can also trigger an alarm in case of unauthorized removal of products, mitigating shoplifting.

Understanding The Importance of Seamless Operations

Alongside a flawless customer experience, retailers need to ensure operations behind the scenes are running just as smoothly. One of the crucial trends also expected at NRF is how retailers can strive for full control over their whole supply chain. To have a clear overview of a customer’s wants and needs, inventory management and analyzing customer data reports need to become a top priority for retailers.

Only by assessing consumers’ buying habits can brands begin to unlock a deeper understanding of their customers. Deploying order management systems (OMS) makes stock easily manageable, providing retailers with real-time data for complete visibility and accuracy in order fulfilment.

At NRF 2025, Teamwork Commerce will be showcasing the capabilities of the RFID-powered Stock Counter App that ensures that inventory records are promptly updated, providing real-time visibility into the inventory status. This allows retailers to make more informed decisions based on up-to-date stock information.

The Wait Is Almost Over

The countdown for Retail’s Big Show is on. With all the exciting technology and expertise from some of the biggest retailers in the game, we are thrilled to be heading back to the Javits Center to find out what 2025 will have in store.

Looking to learn more about how RFID can transform your brand’s operations? Come connect with us at booth 4864 at NRF 2025!