NRF 2025: APAC brought together over 7,000 attendees from 52 countries. Themed “Fast Track Your Success,” the event showcased transformative trends and strategies shaping the future of retail in the Asia-Pacific region.

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Key Themes and Learnings

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AI is now table stakes

What we learnt

From AI voice assistants and smart mirrors to hyper-local ad  generation, generative and spatial AI powered nearly every innovation.

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What does this mean for retailers & brands?

Stop treating AI as a side project. Invest in clean data  infrastructure so AI can scale fast - product, inventory, and customer data  must be structured and accessible. Talk to us about how to best utilise your  data to drive greater cut-through with your in-store messaging.

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GenZ is shaping how we build

What we learnt

Livestream commerce, TikTok-style storefronts, and real-time factory-to-consumer drops show that Gen Z isn’t just a target audience - they’re the blueprint.

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What does this mean for retailers & brands?

Design experiences for mobile-first, short-form and video-led engagement. Treat Gen Z as co-creators, not just consumers — invite participation, not just attention. C-stores are emerging as key Gen Z touchpoints, opening new ground for real-time influence and brand connection.

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Sustainability becomes commercial

What we learnt

Circular models like re-sale, re-fill, and re-commerce weren’t side shows — they were business models backed by policy, logistics, and scale.

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What does this mean for retailers & brands?

Build margin-positive, trackable loops into assortment strategy. “Re-commerce” isn’t niche - it’s your next loyalty and profit lever.

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Operations go real-time

What we learnt

Computer vision, in-store heatmaps, and AI-driven task management showed how retailers are cutting stockouts and labour waste while lifting margin.‍

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What does this mean for retailers & brands?

Use in-store analytics to dynamically guide teams — not just report weekly. Action should follow data within the hour.

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Checkout is now part of CX

What we learnt

RFID, mobile POS, and “scan-and-go” featured heavily — not just for speed, but for accuracy and personalisation.

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What does this mean for retailers & brands?

Make transactions invisible. Remove queues and enable any team member to complete the sale — anywhere in-store.

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Retail Media gets serious in APAC

What we learnt

Clean rooms, responsive in-store formats, and regional ad networks took centre stage— with platforms like Zitcha an Broadsign showing scale.

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What does this mean for retailers & brands?

Monetise your media: bundle physical and digital assets (in-store audio, DOOH, app, POS)into a single offering. Don’t wait to get “network ready.” The time is now – speak to the team today.

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