Mid-year review – Three big retail tech trends in 2025 to date

Now that 2025 is at the halfway mark, it’s time to look at the technology trends that have been shaking up the industry since New Year’s Day.

The past six months have been busy in the realm of retail technology, with retailers deploying numerous solutions in every part of their infrastructure. However, agentic AI, enterprise cloud, and connected stores have stood out as three trends that have had a wide-ranging industry impact.

Following is a closer look at what has transpired with each trend this year so far: 

Agentic AI

I recently wrote a column about how agentic AI, which analyzes massive amounts of data in near-real-time and then automatically takes action based on the results, is finding its place in retail.  

During the first few months of the year, agentic AI was widely available at both NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show and Shoptalk 2025 retail technology conferences, but not the dominant theme. However, since the start of the second quarter agentic AI has picked up remarkable momentum as retailers have been adopting the technology to streamline a variety of workflows across the enterprise. 

Major retailers including eBay, Google and Amazon are all offering or piloting agentic AI shopping agents that guide and make purchases based on customer preferences; while Walmart is applying the technology in areas such as customer support, product development and store automation.

[READ MORE: Walmart pursues enterprise agentic AI strategy]

Enterprise cloud

Unlike agentic AI, cloud technology has been around for 25-plus years and is widely entrenched in retail infrastructure. However, while it may seem like every retailer already has all its enterprise solutions running "in the cloud," the fact remains that it is hardly a universally deployed platform.

This is evidenced by the wide array of cloud migrations launched by retailers of all types in every part of their enterprise during the first half of 2025. Levi Strauss & Co. began providing select employees access to Google Cloud data dashboards for customer and trend insights; while travel retailer WHSmith North America rolled out multiple SaaS-based cloud solutions from Aptos to perform merchandising, warehouse management and sales audit tasks, as well as gain a comprehensive view of data across its more than 340 stores.

In other examples, specialty retailer Tilly’s began implementing cloud-based RFID technology from Nedap across its retail operations to enhance inventory visibility and accuracy, optimize product availability, and streamline operational efficiencies; and Dollar General deployed the API-enabled Kevel Retail Media Cloud platform to transition its Dollar General Media Network (DGMN) retail media arm to the cloud.

Connected stores

Much has been made of the fact that as always, reports of the “death of the store” were premature and stores still represent the vast majority of retail sales. However, the nature of stores is changing as constantly connected consumers are expecting a hybrid “phygital” in-store experience, and in the first half of 2025 many retailers obliged them.

Employee-owned sporting goods retailer Scheels created an immersive in-store digital environments, unified through Mood Media's Harmony platform with LED display walls consisting of approximately 460 LED screens throughout each store.

Scheels can synchronize the display network for store-wide takeover campaigns by brand partners or segment promotional content.

And Korean fashion retailer Matin Kim installed highly realistic virtual reality hologram technology at five of its Matin Kim and Hago Haus stores. The hologram models from Los Angeles-based Proto Hologram can move and turn 360 degrees to show outfits to shoppers and have built-in cameras, microphones, speakers and touchscreens.

Global French retail conglomerate Carrefour S.A, Group is taking a more holistic connected store approach by piloting the VusionGroup EdgeSense store technology platform in a hypermarket in Villabé, France.

The platform combines smart shelf-edge rails, Captana computer vision technology, AI, electronic shelf labels and data analysis to equip store associates with AI-based smart decision tools. Carrefour also leverages EdgeSense functionality to offer personalized in-store services and recommendations to customers in real time.