Is the future of shopping moving from checking out to checking in

By Kayla Broussard, Chief Technology Officer of Retail and Travel at Kyndryl

What's in store for retailers in 2025? Shopping won't be about checking out but checking in.

Retailers will focus more on experiential commerce - what happens before, during and after shoppers visit a store - by investing in technology that can deliver a unified and differentiated customer experience.

Expect store owners to use innovative technologies to drive customer engagement and deliver exceptional service. While companies that have embraced emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and augmented reality (AR) have already benefited from meaningful customer relationships and growing engagement and sales, they will go a step further in the next year.

Retailers will aim to tap into data more effectively to achieve a balance between enhancing customer satisfaction, delivering exceptional service, reducing costs and minimizing their environmental impact.

As the retail landscape continues to evolve, integrating innovative technologies will be crucial for retailers who want to meet the demands of modern shoppers and maintain a competitive edge.

Here are four trends that will reshape the retail industry and offer new growth opportunities.