Ready to supercharge your 2025?
Our just-released Q4 Benchmark Report shows the retail landscape is transforming faster than ever – with AI revolutionizing stores and consumer spending set to jump 3.1%.
Dive in to discover what’s working now, from game-changing tech to proven team motivation tactics that are driving real results.
Today's Rundown
- OUT NOW: Sign up to receive the Q4 2024 Home Furnishing Benchmark Report.
- FMG Symposium: Join Trakwell in Vegas at the FMG Symposium over the next two days.
- Consumer Behavior: How Zillennials are redefining consumer behavior.
2025 Predictions and expectations
According to Deloitte’s 2025 retail outlook report, this year looks promising for retail growth, with consumer spending expected to increase by 3.1%. The recent holiday season already showed strong performance, with sales growing 4% in November and December. While customers are still shopping actively, they’re becoming more price-conscious and are increasingly choosing deals over brand loyalty, which means stores may need to focus more on promotions and special offers to attract shoppers.
The big change coming to stores in 2025 is the widespread adoption of AI technology. Seven out of ten retail executives plan to implement AI tools within the year to create more personalized shopping experiences. Many stores will be getting upgrades with new digital features like touchscreens and interactive displays to help customers find and learn about products.
For store employees, this means new AI tools are coming to help with tasks and customer service – for example, during last year’s Black Friday, stores using AI chatbots saw 15% better conversion rates. Additionally, two-thirds of retail executives are planning significant investments in hiring, training, and retaining employees to address labor challenges.
Productivity Games: Save the Sale
Looking for new ways to create excitement around selling and encourage your team? Productivity games are a great way to increase morale and energy within your store.
SAVE THE SALE
How to Play:
- Set specific sales goals for targeted items (new products, slow-moving inventory, or promotional items)
- When a salesperson hits the goal, they draw a playing card
- They continue collecting cards with each goal achieved, trying to reach exactly 21
- When they hit 21, they turn in those cards and receive a prize
- Extra cards can be kept for future hands
- No limit on how many times someone can hit 21
Why Implement:
- Creates excitement around selling specific merchandise that needs attention
- Provides immediate reward feedback for successful sales
- Makes selling targeted items feel like a game rather than a chore
- Encourages consistent performance since cards accumulate
Retail Snippets
Trend Watch: 25 predictions for the retail industry in 2025.
Robot packers and AI cameras: UK retail embraces automation to cut staff costs.
State of the Consumer 2025: What’s now and what’s next in retail innovation and consumer behavior.
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Productivity Supercharger: ChatGPT will now allow you to schedule reminders and recurring tasks.
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