The 7 most important trends in retail in 2025
Customers’ shopping habits are changing rapidly. Current trends in retail in 2025 show how retailers must adapt to new demands in order to remain competitive. Whether seamless omnichannel experiences, sustainable concepts, AI or personalized offers – 2025 will be strongly influenced by customer centricity and new technologies. But which developments should retailers pay particular attention to? We present the 7 most important trends and show you how to implement them successfully.
Overview of the 7 trends in retail 2025:
- #1 Omnichannel retailing
- #2 AI
- #3 Sustainability
- #4 Experience orientation
- #5 Digitized processes
- #6 Social commerce
- #7 Logistics and same-day delivery
1st trend in retail 2025: omnichannel retailing
Omnichannel retailing links all of a retailer’s sales channels to create a uniform and seamless shopping experience. Customers can switch flexibly between channels. Convenience and service are uncompromisingly consistent across all sales channels.
This approach is seen as a growing trend because consumer behavior has changed fundamentally. Today’s customers expect flexibility, efficiency and individuality. They want to discover products online, try them out in store and ultimately buy them where it is most convenient for them. One trend accelerator was certainly the coronavirus pandemic. Since then, expectations of digital and hybrid solutions have grown. The focus is on convenience, time savings and cross-channel access.
Possible omnichannel solutions
There are various elements that you can use to promote omnichannel retailing in your company. It is best to combine different options:
- Click & Collect: Order online, pick up in store.
- BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick Up In Store): Similar to Click & Collect, with pick-up stations or lockers.
- ROPIS (Reserve Online, Pick Up In Store): Reserve online, test on site and decide.
- BORIS (Buy Online, Return In Store): Return items purchased online to the store without any problems.
- Showrooms like Showme Stores: experience products on site and order online.
- Omnichannel apps: Simple management of purchases, returns and information in one central location.
- Digital payment methods: mobile payment and contactless payment via various channels.
Omnichannel strategies provide flexibility and convenience. They also strengthen customer loyalty by adapting the shopping experience to the needs of the modern consumer.
2nd trend in retail 2025: AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the key trends in retail in 2025 – it will revolutionize retail in the long term. The decisive factor for its influence is the ability of AI to analyze huge amounts of customer data in real time and thus personalize the customer journey. AI-supported systems examine purchasing behavior and then create suitable product recommendations. Not only can relevant products be offered, but dynamic prices can also be generated that are flexibly geared to current market conditions and demand.
In 2025, AI will become an indispensable tool because customer demands for convenience and individuality have risen rapidly. The shift from mass market to personalized solutions has been made possible by the growing amount of data and technological advances. Only recently have sophisticated AI tools become available to retailers to fully implement this trend.
3. trend in retail 2025: sustainability
Sustainability is more than just a short-term fad – it is a key purchasing criterion for many customers and therefore continues to be a trend. The demand for environmentally friendly products and business models is growing continuously. They are particularly in demand:
- Organic products: Food and items that are organically grown and produced without harmful chemicals.
- Local products: Goods from the region that minimize transport routes and promote the local economy.
- Recycled materials: Products made from reused materials that conserve resources and reduce waste.
- Sustainable packaging: Environmentally friendly alternatives such as paper, glass or biodegradable materials.
- Fair production: Products that are manufactured under fair working conditions and with transparent supply chains.
Retailers who prioritize sustainability not only gain credibility, but also market share, as they meet the values of modern customers and build long-term trust.
4. trend in retail 2025: experience orientation
Brick-and-mortar retail needs to reinvent itself in order to stand out from online retail – simply presenting products is no longer enough. Customers are looking for inspiration, emotional connection and a shopping experience that inspires them. Experience orientation will therefore become one of the key trends in retail in 2025.
Technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) play a key role here. AR allows customers to virtually visualize furniture in their rooms, for example, while VR creates immersive showroom experiences where products can be tested interactively. Digital touchpoints such as interactive displays or smart mirrors also increase attractiveness.
Furthermore, bricks-and-mortar retail is increasingly becoming a stage: workshops, pop-up stores and events offer customers added value and create emotional connections to the brand. Experience orientation is therefore a decisive factor in retaining customers in the long term and making bricks-and-mortar retail relevant again.
5. trend in retail 2025: digitalized processes
In 2025, digitalized processes will be one of the most important trends in retail, as they support both customers and retailers in an increasingly technology-driven world. The further development of technologies ensures that these solutions will become increasingly efficient and indispensable. Popular digital process solutions:
- Mobile payment: Contactless payment is becoming the standard thanks to widespread acceptance and integration in smartphones and wearables.
- Digital brochures: Individually tailored offers replace printed catalogs and at the same time offer a sustainable and target group-specific alternative.
- Automated processes: From smart checkout solutions to automated inventory management – retailers optimize processes to save time and money.
- Virtual queues: Customers can minimize waiting times with digital ticket systems.
- Self-checkout: State-of-the-art systems allow customers to shop without queuing at the checkout.
6th trend in retail 2025: social commerce
Social commerce plays a key role both in brick-and-mortar retail and in the e-commerce trends of 2025. Social media such as Instagram and Facebook have become indispensable platforms for marketing and sales. They enable companies to bring their products directly and systematically to the target group – from the first contact to the final purchase.
Live shopping, where customers can discover products in real time, ask questions and buy directly, is particularly popular. This format combines the convenience of online shopping with the authenticity of a personal consultation and creates an interactive shopping experience that promotes trust and customer loyalty.
In addition, social commerce offers further opportunities: from influencer cooperations that strengthen reach and credibility to personalized ads that address customers directly.
7. trend in retail 2025: logistics and same-day delivery
Customers expect ever shorter delivery times and prefer same-day delivery. These wishes can be realized through decentralized warehouses and micrologistics. Such solutions bring products closer to the end consumer, reduce transportation times and meet increasing demands for convenience and efficiency.
In addition to speed, consumers are also increasingly focusing on the sustainability aspect of shipping. Companies that focus on environmentally friendly supply chains, for example through optimized routes, low-emission vehicles or climate-neutral packaging, are also gaining the trust of environmentally conscious customers.
Optimizing logistics is therefore not just a question of competitiveness, but a central component in meeting the expectations of modern consumers and at the same time assuming ecological responsibility.
