Sourced from The Drum
We ask Joe Laszlo, head of content at ShopTalk, to share his top takeaways from this year’s show.
If you looked only at the headlines – tariffs rising, costs tightening, malls emptying – you might think retail was facing its final act. But on the ground at Shoptalk 2025 in Las Vegas, the picture couldn’t have been more different.
Retail, it turns out, is not dying. It’s evolving – fast. In fact, the theme’s show suggested we are on the brink of the golden age of retail – not quite the narrative you expect with all the doom and gloom in the world.
But over the course of four packed days, more than 10,000 retail execs, tech innovators and brand marketers gathered not to mourn the industry’s challenges but to build what comes next. And no one had a better view of the big picture than Joe Laszlo, head of content at Shoptalk.
We caught up with Laszlo and asked him to share the top five takeaways from this year’s show. Here’s how it broke down, with real-world examples from The Drum to bring each point to life.
1. Customer centricity isn’t a slogan – it’s survival
“If you’re a retailer and you’re not thinking about your customer’s needs first and foremost, you’re not going to be a successful retailer,” Laszlo said. “This year, we built the whole program around that idea – and you could see it come through in almost every session.”
Customer centricity is no longer a vague ambition – it’s becoming the engine behind business models, store formats, product development and social strategies.
Take Claire’s, the tween-focused retailer that rebuilds its customer base every few years by design. It has turned Gen Alpha into co-creators, letting them shape store design and content alike.
2. Physical retail isn’t dead – it’s a halo engine
“The old idea of e-commerce versus in-store is done,” said Laszlo. “It’s all retail. It’s all commerce. And the smartest players are making each channel amplify the other.”
That’s exactly what Wayfair is doing. Its new brick-and-mortar stores aren’t just capturing footfall – they’re boosting online sales in entire regions, proving that physical locations still matter in a digital-first world.
And Primark? It has taken the radical step of only selling in-store in the US market – delivering a tactile, value-driven experience in direct contrast to endless scrolling.
3. AI is growing up – from generative to agentic
“AI is everywhere,” said Laszlo. “But what’s interesting is how it’s shifting – from content generation to action. We’re entering the age of agentic AI.”
This new wave isn’t about making pretty pictures – it’s about building systems that act on behalf of the customer. Whether that’s Wayfair’s AI-powered design tool Muse or Kroger using AI to detect behavior changes linked to wellness trends, it’s clear that automation is moving upstream.
Reddit, meanwhile, is shaping AI search by offering platforms like ChatGPT and Google access to its human-led data. As Roxy Young, Reddit’s CMO put it: “You can’t have artificial intelligence without actual intelligence.”
4. Retail media is eating the industry
“Retail media used to be a niche topic,” said Laszlo. “Now, it’s driving growth conversations across every corner of the show. Retailers are realizing they’re not just merchants – they’re media owners.”
Kroger’s media arm, KPM, is powered by over two decades of shopper data and now influences everything from R&D to brand building. Albertsons is going one step further: VP Liz Roche suggests the next evolution could include acquiring traditional media companies.
The Drum’s coverage shows how the margins are real, the measurement is evolving, and the competition is heating up fast.
5. Trust is the ultimate growth channel
“One of the most powerful ideas we saw this year is that trust is driving performance,” Laszlo said. “That’s true in loyalty programs, in sustainability, in how data is used. Retailers are starting to build systems that reinforce trust at every step.”
Take Back Market, which leads with price but wins with transparency. Or Reddit, where human moderation and authentic community conversations are turning search intent into sales. Even Shein is trying to rebuild trust by showing the mechanics behind its rapid-fire supply chain.
“When shoppers know what to expect – and you deliver on it – you’ve won the game,” Laszlo added.
