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Deloitte published an article earlier in 2025 that outlined some of the biggest potential for the year ahead. The report showcased a series of concepts and possibilities that may become prevalent throughout the retail sector in the coming months. Some of the proposed trends weren’t that surprising, while others took many retail experts by surprise. 

After reading and analysing the full report multiple times over, it’s easy to identify some of the common threads and key takeaways from it. In simpler terms, what do retail businesses around the world need to focus on or be aware of in the next year or more? 

An Even Bigger Emphasis On Data

Data collection, extraction and analysis will become even more significant for retail businesses over the next few months or years. This is a trend that’s been growing over time – and most retail companies already place a firm focus on the data collection aspect. 

Deloitte’s forecast found that data will be at the heart of everything a retail business does in the future. It already plays a critical role in aiding companies with regard to customer acquisition and generating repeat business. However, there’s now a greater emphasis on (legally and ethically) extracting as much data as possible from consumers, customers and internal retail reports. 

Many retail businesses will now turn to things that contain lots of valuable insights, yet are traditionally difficult to analyse or extract data from. PDFs have long been a popular document format for retail companies, offering a simple way to display invoices or purchase reports. The increased emphasis on data within the retail sector will lead to the demand for to collect and analyse information that was previously difficult to retrieve. 

It’s all built around the concept of prioritising data, which can then be utilised throughout a retail business to identify key company trends, spot areas of improvement, figure out how to appeal to more customers, and so on. 

The Need For Rapid Responses

One of the big headlines from the Deloitte report looked at the requirement for retail companies to “move at the speed of culture.� A similar mantra was mentioned a handful of times when discussing the other future retail trends. It highlights the need for retail businesses to respond quickly to various situations, particularly when it comes to capitalising on prime purchasing moments for customers. 

If you look at the trends in consumer spending over the last couple of years, you’ll see a rise in what’s known as intentional shopping. This refers to the way in which consumers spend money; it’s less about buying what they want, when they want, and more about purchasing products or services around specific dates or holidays. 

Research shows purchasing spikes during months with important holidays like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or Christmas. It also displays peaks when most retail businesses hold big sales – like during the early summer months. 

Deloitte’s report made a great point in highlighting the urge for retail companies to be more proactive and responsive to buying trends like these. Companies have to be ahead of the curve and react to different purchasing trends throughout the year. It could mean a business rethinks its marketing strategy to plan big investments around holidays or periods of intentional shopping. 

Moreover, the report also noted the importance of responding to other cultural trends. Retail businesses must remain updated with the latest cultural phenomenon to either capitalise on a key trend or be aware of not making a serious faux pas with their branding. 

Building A Deeper Level Of Personalisation

Deloitte believes that 2025 will continue the evolution of the customer experience. This is a phenomenon that’s gained traction since the birth of ecommerce and the boom of the online retail industry. As more and more people shop online, retail businesses are able to collect data and provide a more targeted customer experience. 

It’s become so commonplace that expect personalised experiences from retail brands nowadays. The previous point about the enhanced emphasis on data collection and extraction leads into this one; companies can leverage customer data to provide the most personalised experience possible – and this will be encouraged in 2025 and beyond. 

The facts back this up – another study discovered that anticipate becoming repeat buyers following personalised shopping experiences. The onus is on modern retail companies to build an even deeper level of personalisation to make marketing and promotional material more relevant to each customer. This may also be reflected in more flexible web pages that display different products or services to different users based on their preferences. 

Setting Up For The Future

A big theme throughout the Deloitte article is the urge for retail businesses to set themselves up for the future. It primarily covers this in two parts: 

• Leveraging future technologies, like AI
• Training employees to handle the rapidly evolving technological landscape

The world is constantly changing and evolving, especially when it comes to technology. AI is already making its way through various industries and has many beneficial use cases for retail companies – particularly when you look at the personalisation aspect of running a business. AI tools need to be taken advantage of, and this means training the right people to use them. 

Furthermore, retail companies need to adapt to the future of retail as a whole. It’s looking increasingly likely that only a handful of niche businesses can manage the brick-and-mortar approach these days. There will be an even bigger exodus to online retail within the next couple of years, with a firmer focus on aspects like mobile shopping or voice-activated searches. A retail business needs to prepare for these trends by getting ready for the future today. 

The entire Deloitte report is worth reading if you’d like further insights into the potential retail trends for 2025 and beyond. The main takeaways are that data will play a pivotal role, futureproofing retail businesses takes centre stage, and retail companies need to be quick in how they adapt and respond to market changes or trends.