NRF: Retail’s Big Show 2025 Takeaways

1. A Bold New Chapter for Physical Retail

Forget the “blurring of boundaries”, enter the era of “blended retail” – a more dynamic mix of the physical and digital realms.

Macy’s CEO, Tony Spring, highlighted this shift during a main-stage discussion on the company’s “Bold New Chapter.” Recognizing the evolving retail landscape, Macy’s is moving away from the traditional bricks and mortar department store model, closing some physical locations, and embracing a hybrid marketplace approach. The “new chapter” reimagines Macy’s role in the consumer journey and combats the supposed “death of department stores.” In this transformation, technology plays a crucial role, helping consumers to reimagine the potential of the retailer by helping to curate consumer choices. As Spring said, “the department store essentially is the curation of choice. We all love choice, right?"

This blended retail approach was evident on the expo floor. Carter-Hoffmann’s PUC (Pick Up Cabinet) system, showcased in the Foodservice Innovation Zone, demonstrated how to connect front-end to back-end operations, integrating online ordering, contactless pickup, and secure holding—streamlining the customer journey from start to finish.

Elsewhere, Proto Hologram’s AI-powered platform blended physical and digital to transform retail merchandising, customer service, and sales with immersive experiences that deepen customer engagement. The holographic display literally feels like the product or person is in the room with you. These innovations demonstrate that the focus of modern retail is not on static products or single channels, and not on pure digital or physical, but on beautifully blended solutions.

2. The Way Forward is Humanity and Community

There are two ways of building “community” in retail, we learned at NRF – externally with customers (make them feel like they belong to a brand), and internally with team-members (make them feel like they have a purpose and a path forward). Community-building is stitched together with technology but requires large doses of humanity.

Externally, retail leaders like John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart US, emphasized the human element, highlighting personalized experiences as the key to community building. Bloomingdale’s CEO Olivier Bron went on to say that their “best marketing investment is the experience in the store.”

In a session with VML’s Beth Ann Kaminkow, Vince Colatriano, Executive Vice President at H Mart, furthered this conversation. H Mart is the largest Asian supermarket chain in America and a big part of their success is the way that generations come together through shopping in store. “It’s about culture and a way to feel connected to home,” said Colatriano.

H Mart doesn't offer in-store pick-up, because they want customers to come into store and immerse themselves in the cultural experience. Online, H Mart aims to “take that genuine interaction in store and make it possible for everyone to have the same experience,” commented Beth Ann Kaminkow.

Internally, community building is about fostering a sense of purpose and identifying career pathways. Target CEO, Brian Cornell, told NRF attendees that it came down to investing in, listening to, and developing great people, and creating a culture of care, growth and winning together. As a result of active listening, Target created a program called “Prepare for Next”, which aims to create the next generation of leaders.

Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald promotes a blended approach to community building. McDonald told NRF attendees that he doesn’t believe “you can lead a global organization without being in the market.” And so, he is on the road two weeks a month, interacting with team-members, and participating in community activations such as Ironman races with ambassador athletes.