Page 16 – Coresight Research

Reasons to Read

Coresight Research is a research partner of Shoptalk Fall 2025, an annual conference that unites executives from retailers, consumer brands and technology vendors to discuss emerging themes, innovations and future of commerce.

The event will take place during September 17–19 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois.

Plan your time at Shoptalk Fall 2025 with this essential guide! This year, the event, built around the theme of “Retail Alchemy”, will spotlight key retail priorities, including AI-driven intelligence, product innovation, customer loyalty and executive leadership in a currently volatile environment.

Executive Summary

Across four retail themes, we identify must-attend sessions at Shoptalk Fall 2025, an annual conference that unites executives from retailers, consumer brands and technology vendors to discuss emerging themes, innovations and the future of commerce. In particular, sessions will address two of the most pressing subjects in retail—AI (artificial intelligence) and tariffs—covering AI’s role in business problem-solving and innovation and practical approaches to leading through the complexities of trade policies.

Coresight Research Insights

Notable Themes

Data-Driven and AI-Augmented Retail Intelligence—Modern retail is moving beyond static dashboards and datasets, using machine learning (ML) and agentic AI to create intelligent, responsive systems for forecasting, planning and operations. These tools help brands anticipate disruption, navigate inflation and tariffs and fine-tune supply chain, inventory and omnichannel performance in real time.
Product Curation and Innovation Under Pressure—With trade policies changing, supply chains in flux and consumer preferences shifting rapidly, merchandising teams are piloting new categories, reallocating inventory across formats and making bold assortment decisions to stay competitive.
Brand Identity, Loyalty and Customer Experience in a Shifting World—Brand building today is about staying relevant, resilient and resonant in the face of cultural shifts, generational divides and algorithm-driven discovery. Marketers and customer experience leaders are focusing on personalization, loyalty and emotional connection to strengthen relationships across channels, platforms and regions.
Leading Through Volatility and Change—Today’s leaders must act decisively in uncertainty while planning for what’s next. By balancing stability and innovation, cost control and expansion, and unity with decentralization, forward-thinking brands are reshaping organizational culture and empowering teams at every level.

Introduction

Coresight Research is an official research partner of Shoptalk Fall 2025, which will take place during September 17-19 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois. Shoptalk Fall is an annual conference that unites executives from retailers, consumer brands and technology vendors to discuss emerging themes, innovations and the future of commerce. It serves as a complementary, second-half-of-the-year counterpart to Shoptalk Spring—offering industry leaders another strategic touchpoint to connect, collaborate and act on fast-moving trends.

The Coresight Research team will be in attendance and looks forward to meeting you at Shoptalk Fall 2025. Coresight Research CEO and Founder Deborah Weinswig will be on stage on Friday, September 19, to discuss takeaways from the conference, with Ben Miller, VP, Original Content & Strategy, Shoptalk; Joe Laszlo, Global Head of Insights, Shoptalk; and Holden Bale, Global Chief Strategy Officer, Merkle (details in the agenda highlights below).

In this essential guide to the event, we highlight notable sessions for attendees across four major themes, as identified by the Shoptalk team. All times in this report are Central Time (CT; local time of the event)

To ensure that you do not miss critical insights, we will provide daily coverage of Shoptalk Fall 2025 on stage.coresight.com.

A Guide to Shoptalk Fall 2025: Coresight Research Insights

Shoptalk Fall 2025, themed “Retail Alchemy,” will bring together more than 3,000 retail and brand leaders, technology innovators, and decision-makers to connect, strategize, and shape the future of retail. Featuring hands-on workshops, peer-led sessions, and insights from more than 130 industry luminaries, the event will spotlight key retail priorities, including AI-driven intelligence, product innovation, customer loyalty and executive leadership in a currently volatile environment.

This year’s event expands its signature Shopwalks store tours, offering exclusive, behind-the-scenes tours of Chicago’s most innovative retail spaces. These immersive experiences will give retailer and brand attendees an inside look at how industry leaders are reinventing the in-store experience to meet evolving consumer expectations.

Two of the most pressing topics in retail today are AI and tariffs. The Shoptalk Fall sessions will address both subjects, covering AI’s role in business problem-solving and innovation and practical approaches to leading through the complexities of trade policies.

Notable Sessions Across Four Major Themes

We highlight selected sessions at Shoptalk Fall categorized into four major themes:

Data-Driven and AI-Augmented Retail Intelligence—Modern retail is moving beyond static dashboards and datasets, using machine learning (ML) and agentic AI to create intelligent, responsive systems for forecasting, planning and operations. These tools help brands anticipate disruption, navigate inflation and tariffs and fine-tune supply chain, inventory and omnichannel performance in real time.
Product Curation and Innovation Under Pressure—With supply chains in flux and consumer preferences shifting rapidly, merchandising teams are piloting new categories, reallocating inventory across formats and making bold assortment decisions to stay competitive.
Brand Identity, Loyalty, and Customer Experience in a Shifting World—Brand building today is about staying relevant, resilient and resonant in the face of cultural shifts, generational divides and algorithm-driven discovery. Marketers and customer experience leaders are focusing on personalization, loyalty and emotional connection to strengthen relationships across channels, platforms and regions.
Leading Through Volatility and Change—Today’s leaders must act decisively in uncertainty while planning for what’s next. By balancing stability and innovation, cost control and expansion, and unity with decentralization, forward-thinking brands are reshaping organizational culture and empowering teams at every level.

1. Data-driven and AI-augmented retail intelligence

Shoptalk Says: Modern retail demands more than dashboards and datasets. In an age of conflicting KPIs, global unpredictability and shrinking margins, retailers are transforming forecasting, planning and operations into intelligent, responsive systems. From ML that adapts in real time to agentic AI that scales decision-making, the sharpest brands are using technology to anticipate disruption, navigate inflation and tariffs and fuel precision across supply chain, inventory and omnichannel performance.

Coresight Research Insight: AI, ML and GenAI underpin Coresight Research’s Retail Technology Trends in 2025, for their ability to quickly and accurately mine vast datasets for relationships, anomalies and growth opportunities. Coresight Research has developed the CORE framework for AI in retail to give retailers and brands a head start in strategizing around AI deployment. The framework classifies the applications of AI within four main categories that can help retailers win new business, run their operations more efficiently and create stronger relationships with their customers.

Agentic AI is one of the top technology trends that Coresight Research predicts will impact retail in 2025 and beyond. Coresight Research expects that agentic AI will revolutionize retail, as well as many other industries, over the next five years. We estimate that just over half (51%) of enterprise software applications will be “agentified,” meaning that they will use AI agents to some degree, by 2029.

Relevant Research

Shoptalk Fall Sessions

Time	Session	Track	Speakers/Panelists
Wednesday, September 17
10:30 a.m.–11:10 a.m.	Track Keynote: From Tariffs to Tactics: Scenario Planning in a Volatile World	AIR	Jamie Bragg, Chief Supply Chain Officer, EVP, Tailored Brands Tanzil Uddin, SVP, Content & Partnerships, Manifest (Interviewer)
10:30 a.m.–11:10 a.m.	Scenario Planning in a Volatile World: A Conversation	AIR	David Gaylord, CEO, Bushbalm Kim Roxie, Founder & CEO, LAMIK Beauty Tanzil Uddin, SVP, Content & Partnerships, Manifest (Interviewer)
2:45 p.m.–3:25 p.m.	Tech Solutions Spotlight: Agentic AI Transforming Operations	AIR	Paul Meinshausen, CEO, Aampe Maju Kuruvilla, Founder & CEO, Spangle Ryan Wang, Founder & CEO, Assembled Josh Payne, Co-Founder & CEO, Coframe Pano Anthos, Founder & Managing Director, XRC Ventures (Interviewer)
3:30 p.m.– 4:10 p.m.	Supply Chain Agility in the Age of Disruption	AIR	Jennifer Kobus, DVP, Global Supply Chain, REI Derek Geiss, Chief Supply Chain Officer and EVP, International, Nutrabolt Harshida Acharya, Partner & Chief Strategy Officer, Fulfillment IQ Katie Date, SVP, Industry Relations & Strategic Initiatives, Manifest (Interviewer)
4:30 p.m.–4:50 p.m.	Keynote		Jonathan Adler, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Jonathan Adler
5:10 p.m.–5:30 p.m.	Keynote: The Alchemists – Disruptors Defining the Next Era		Olivia Landau, Founder & CEO, The Clear Cut Fiona Simmonds, Co-Founder, Pinkie
Thursday, September 18
9:35 a.m.– 10:15 a.m.	Leveling Up on Search in the AI Era	AIR	Michelle Goad, Chief Digital Officer, Athleta Erica Randerson, Chief Digital Officer & GM, Edible Brands Sonia Lapinsky, Partner & Managing Director, Head of Fashion Retail, Alix Partners (Interviewer)
10:25 a.m.– 11:05 a.m.	Strategic Pivots That Succeed: Driving Reinvention	AIR	Nicole Parry, Head of Merchandising, Americas, H&M Bruce Smith, Founder & Chairman of the Board, Hydrow Karina Dolgin, Chief Product & Revenue Officer, James Avery Jewelry Smriti Jayaraman, Principal, Corazon Capital (Interviewer)
1:40 p.m.– 2:00 p.m.	Keynote		Ann-Marie Campbell, Senior Executive Vice President, Home Depot
2:00 p.m.– 2:20 p.m.	Keynote		Ciaran Long, CEO, a.k.a. Brands Kristin Stoller, Editorial Director, Fortune (Interviewer)
4:15 p.m.– 4:55 p.m.	Retail Intelligence: What AI Can – and Can’t – Do Today	AIR	Dan DeMeyere, Chief Technology & Product Officer, ThredUp Neelima Sharma, SVP, Omnichannel & Ecommerce Technology, Lowe’s Stephen Yalof, President & CEO, Tanger Matthew Adam Smith, Founder & CEO, TWO ISAACS (Interviewer)
Friday, September 19
10:30 a.m.–11:10 a.m.	Search, Discover, Convert: Improving the Ecommerce Customer Experience	AIR	Jessica Alsing, Chief Digital Officer, Grendene Global Brands Sunny Jiang, President & CEO, Eyebuydirect, EssilorLuxottica Joe Cano, SVP of Digital, Lowe’s Dominick Miserandino, CEO, Retail Tech Media Nexus (Interviewer)
11:20 a.m.–12:00 p.m.	Using Behavioral Data to Drive Repeat Revenue	AIR	Hanna Bang, VP of Lifestyle Marketing, L’Oréal Julie Van Ullen, Chief Revenue Officer, Rakuten Rewards Ann Conway, Founder & CEO, Amplify (Interviewer)
1:05 p.m.–1:45 p.m.	Multi-Faceted Personalization That Converts	AIR	Dane Mathews, Chief Digital & Technology Officer, Taco Bell Ann Piper, Head of North America, Ads, Spotify Yael Mohan, Partner, Bain & Company (Interviewer)
3:30 p.m.–3:50 p.m.	Keynote		Sanjay Radhakrishnan, SVP & Chief Technology Officer, Sam’s Club Todd Garner, SVP & Chief Product Officer, Sam’s Club
3:50 p.m.–4:10 p.m.	Keynote		Evelyn Webster, CEO, SoulCycle

2. Product curation and innovation under pressure

Shoptalk Says: The old rules no longer apply; what sells today might not sell tomorrow, and a reliable supply chain is no longer a given. This reality is forcing product, format and merchandising teams to rethink their playbooks: piloting new categories in uncertain conditions, shifting inventory across formats and making bold assortment decisions while contending with supply chain challenges and platform complexity. If merchandising has always been equal parts art and science, this is the moment when that equation is truly put to the test.

Coresight Research Insight: The demands and challenges of getting the right product in front of the consumer at the right time may be ever evolving and recently heightened, but the tools to support the decisions and operations that drive those efforts are proliferating, too.

In an era of pandemics, rapidly shifting customer preferences, geopolitical conflict and the sudden levying of tariffs, quant tools for inventory management like Excel and “homebrew” systems are no longer adequate. In the age of AI, enterprises need to store their data in modern repositories, for access to AI models and applications. Then enterprises can select from a wide spectrum of broad-based enterprise platforms and specialty applications, which employ AI, to meet their specific needs. Although AI/ML offers enormous benefits in finding relationships in data and in forecasting an optimization, the advent of GenAI and agentic AI brings the power of analyzing and generating insights from data—possibly automatically—to everyone, including non-technical staff.

Agentic AI promises to automate the abilities of analysts and data scientists in its ability to envision scenarios, forecast their outcomes, and make recommendations. We foresee agentic AI proposing product recommendations and customized promotions, alongside supply chain tasks such as production scheduling and order management.

In the meantime, GenAI applications can enhance several key operational functions within the product launch and sales journey. Comprehensive business application software can leverage GenAI to generate text and images, which will save brands and retailers numerous hours in writing product descriptions and creating product imagery, and greatly reducing the time spent in creative and marketing teams.

The rewards from implementing a unified commerce strategy can include increased loyalty: A Coresight Research survey found that the availability of multiple shopping channels increases the likelihood of returning to a retailer as a repeat customer for more than one-third of US consumers, and this proportion rises to almost half when the omnichannel experience is seamless.

Relevant Research

Shoptalk Fall Sessions

Time	Session	Track	Speakers/Panelists
Wednesday, September 17
2:00 p.m.– 2:40 p.m.	Pods, Pop-Ups & More: Agile Approaches to Experiential Retail	FIRE	Jenica Myszkowski, CEO & President, CAMP Denise Cherry, VP, Marketing & Brand Experience, Rivian Christopher Carl, Head of Marketing, US, AliExpress Emily Miller, SVP, Strategy & Insight, JLL Design, JLL (Interviewer)
2:45 p.m.– 3:25 p.m.	Track Keynote: Running a Brand in the Face of Change	FIRE	Arriana McLymore, Ecommerce Reporter, Reuters (Interviewer) Kate Gulliver, Chief Financial Officer & Chief Administrative Officer, Wayfair
2:45 p.m.– 3:25 p.m.	Channel Expansion in Volatile Times: Winning Across Ecommerce, Social, Marketplaces & Stores	FIRE	Jose Nino, VP, Global Digital & Ecommerce, U.S. Polo Assn. Valerie De Charette, Partner, Tomorrow Retail (Interviewer)
3:30 p.m.– 4:10 p.m	Track Keynote: Future-Proofing the Product Mix: Adaptive Strategies for Influence, Inventory, and Impact	FIRE	Stephanie Roberson, Chief Merchandising Officer, Shopbop Ricardo Lajoie, Global Chief Merchant, Vans Marielle Bobo, VP, Content, Shoptalk (Interviewer)
Thursday, September 18
9:35 a.m.– 10:15 a.m.	The Beauty Lab: How Emerging Brands are Redefining Innovation	FIRE	Suveen Sahib, Co-Founder & CEO, K18 Linda Wang, Founder & CEO, Karuna Skin Henry Davis, CEO, Sakara Life Jacqueline Flam, SVP, Beauty, Drug & OTC Retail, Nielsen (Interviewer)
10:25 a.m.–11:05 a.m.	Making New Formats Stick: Moving Beyond the Pilot Phase	FIRE	George Chang, General Manager, SHEIN USA Marketplace, SHEIN Fred Schonenberg, Founder & CEO, VentureFuel
4:15 p.m.– 4:55 p.m.	Designing Shopping Experiences That Convert In-Store and Online	FIRE	Corey Conrad, SVP, Leasing & Brand Partnerships, Caruso Liza Lefkowski, Chief Merchant, VP of Stores, Wayfair Danielle DiMaiolo Rendini, Head of Retail, American Girl Jim Okamura, Partner, McMillanDoolittle (Interviewer)
5:00 p.m.– 5:40 p.m.	Messaging that Moves: Turning Brand Narrative into Buyer Intent	FIRE	Wayne Purboo, VP, Amazon Shopping Video, Amazon Jordan Rost, Head of Ad Marketing, Roku Tony Marlow, Chief Marketing Officer, LG Ad Solutions, LG Hitha Herzog, Chief Research Officer, H Squared Research (Interviewer)
Friday, September 19
10:30 a.m.–11:10 a.m.	Track Keynote: Unified Commerce Tools Powering Seamless Journeys	FIRE	Ryan Breslow, Founder & CEO, Bolt
10:30 a.m.–11:10 a.m.	Tech Solutions Spotlight: Unified Commerce Tools Powering Seamless Journeys	FIRE	Akash Gupta, Co-Founder & CEO, GreyOrange Spencer Hewett, Founder & CEO, Radar Simon Molnar, Founder & CEO, Flagship Sam Shapiro, Partner, VMG Technology, VMG Partners (Interviewer)
11:20 a.m.–12:00 p.m.	How Retail Media is Rewriting the Storefront and Digital Shelf	FIRE	Caroline Liu, Head of Go-To-Market Strategy, Target Jennifer Andrew, Global VP, Expedia Advertising, Expedia Andrew Lipsman, Founder & Chief Analyst, Media, Ads + Commerce (Interviewer)
1:05 p.m.–1:45 p.m.	Shoptalk Fall Key Takeaways	FIRE	Deborah Weinswig, CEO and Founder, Coresight Research Ben Miller, VP, Original Content & Strategy, Shoptalk Joe Laszlo, Global Head of Insights, Shoptalk Holden Bale, Global Chief Strategy Officer, Merkle

3. Brand identity, loyalty and customer experience in a shifting world

Shoptalk Says: Today, brand building is no longer just about storytelling—it is about staying relevant, resilient and resonant. In a marketplace shaped by cultural shifts, generational divides and algorithm-driven discovery, brands must earn customer loyalty with clear intent. Marketers, customer experience leaders and loyalty strategists are aligning emotional connection with commercial results—all while dealing with pressure to personalize, defend budgets and re-energize engagement across platforms, regions and channels.

Coresight Research Insight: Marketing has changed substantially in recent years, driven by ongoing technology advancements. Coresight Research believes that the next few years will be critical for retailers—how they position themselves to benefit from technologies such as agentic AI will determine the prowess of their marketing technology stack moving forward.

Relevant Research

Shoptalk Fall Sessions

Time	Session	Track	Speakers/Panelists
Thursday, September 18
9:35 a.m.– 10:15 a.m.	Creative Optimization in the Age of Automation	Water	Debbie Woloshin, Chief Marketing Officer, Stitch Fix Gaurav Pant, Co-Founder & Chief Insights Officer, Incisiv (Interviewer)
10:25 a.m.– 11:05 a.m.	Track Keynote: Winning Brand Expression Across Platforms	Water	Kim Lefko, Chief Marketing Officer, Ace Hardware Joe Laszlo, Global Head of Insights, Shoptalk (Interviewer)
10:25 a.m.– 11:05 a.m.	Winning Brand Expression Across Platforms: A Conversation	Water	Lauren Price, SVP, Ecommerce & Digital Marketing, NA, COS Nicklaus Hasselberg, VP, Performance Marketing & Ecommerce, Every Man Jack Sam Tomlinson, EVP, Warschawski (Interviewer)
4:15 p.m.– 4:55 p.m.	Cultural Insights that Fuel Identity & Relevance	Water	Julie Craig, VP, Shopper Insights, Kantar Retail Leah Johns, Head of the Global Consumer Lab, Bain & Company Suzanne Silverstein, CEO, Silver Jeans Co.
5:00 p.m.– 5:40 p.m.	Tech Solutions Spotlight: AI and Personalization Fueling Marketing ROI	Water	Liam Millward, Co-Founder & CEO, Instant Cooper Harris, Founder & CEO, Klickly Tomas Puig, Co-Founder & CEO, Alembic Sampo Parkkinen, Co-Founder & CEO, Revieve Aron Bohlig, Managing Partner, ComCap (Interviewer)
Friday, September 19
10:30 a.m.– 11:10 a.m.	Building Retention in Times of Change	Water	Rene Federico, Head of Marketing, U.S., Primark Sarah Kleinman, Head of America, Ruggable Bennett Fox-Glassman, SVP, Customer Journey, Macy’s Inc. Tara Paton, Founder & CEO, Huemanize (Interviewer)
11:20 a.m.– 12:00 p.m.	Creative Sprints: Moving from Idea to Execution at the Speed of Light	Water	Jenna Bromberg, Chief Marketing Officer, Papa John’s Kaitlyn Hebert, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Ninja, SharkNinja Jeremy Lowenstein, Chief Marketing Officer, Milani Cosmetics Vic Drabicky, Founder & CEO, January Digital (Interviewer)
1:05 p.m.– 1:45 p.m.	Bold Campaigns, Unexpected Collabs, and Brand Guts	Water	Kimberly Wallengren, VP Marketing, North America, Coach Kari Cook, VP Strategy & Planning, Americas, MCoBeauty Alyssa Brown, VP of Marketing, Teleties Katie Bestenlehner, Managing Director, FTI Consulting (Interviewer)

4. Leading through volatility and change

Shoptalk Says: Leadership in 2025 demands a dual vision—the clarity to act decisively in times of crisis and the foresight to place smart bets on what’s next. This is the executive crucible, where leaders are tasked with reconciling seemingly contradictory mandates: stabilizing while innovating, cutting costs while driving growth and unifying while decentralizing. Against the backdrop of changing geopolitics, labor and organizational design, forward-thinking brands are future-proofing their cultures, empowering middle management, and rethinking roles from the C-suite to the front lines.

Coresight Research Insight: A volatile trade environment—marked by new tariffs that drive up sourcing costs and disrupt logistics—puts retail at risk of product shortages and price hikes. According to a recent Coresight Research survey, almost six in 10 consumers (56.1%) hold significant concerns that new US tariffs will increase the price of goods (cited as among their top three concerns). From the same survey, just over six in 10 consumers (62.0%) who have changed or expect to change their shopping behavior due to tariffs report spending less on luxuries or non-essential products in anticipation of higher prices for essentials

At the same time, retail businesses are under strain too. When asked for the most pressing concerns facing their firms, nearly 40% of CFOs cited tariffs or trade policy, according to a survey from Duke University and the Federal Reserve Banks of Richmond and Atlanta conducted in June 2025.

Relevant Research

Shoptalk Fall Sessions

Time	Session	Track	Speakers/Panelists
Thursday, September 18
9:35 a.m.– 10:15 a.m.	The Profitability Pressure Cooker: Running a Brand in the Face of Change	Earth	Sally Pfocher, CEO, Shutterfly Stefanie Kruse Curley, President, DTC, Parts Town Poonam Goyal, Sector Head & Senior Research Retail Analyst, Bloomberg (Interviewer)
10:25 a.m.– 11:05 a.m.	The Technology Leader’s Playbook: Fostering Agility Amid Disruption	Earth	Lisa Green, Co-Founder & Chief Brands Officer, Daydream Adriana Bourgoin, Chief Customer & Strategy Officer, Commerce Cloud, Salesforce
4:15 p.m.– 4:55 p.m.	Leading Through Culture Shifts: When External Forces Reshape Brands	Earth	James Reinhart, Co-Founder & CEO, ThredUp Mimi Swain, Chief Commercial Officer, Ring and Blink by Amazon HG O’Connell, Senior Director, Content, Shoptalk (Interviewer)
5:00 p.m.– 5:40 p.m.	What the C-Suite Can Learn From the Frontlines	Earth	Meera Bhatia, President, Fabletics Leigh Manheim, President, North America, Coach Adam Plom, VP, Content, Shoptalk Europe, Shoptalk (Interviewer)
Friday, September 19
10:30 a.m.– 11:10 a.m.	Purpose Under Pressure: When Mission Meets Market Reality	Earth	Kelly Cook, CEO, David’s Bridal Alia Kemet, Chief Marketing Officer, Shipt Marielle Bobo, VP, Content, Shoptalk (Interviewer)
11:20 a.m.– 12:00 p.m.	The Bold Bets We’re Making and What’s Driving Them	Earth	Desirée Rogers, Co-Owner & CEO, Black Opal LLC Marielle Bobo, VP, Content, Shoptalk (Interviewer) Victoria Picca, President, Off Season
1:05 p.m.– 1:45 p.m.	What the Best Leaders Are Doing Differently	Earth	Candan Erenguc, Chief Operating Officer, Anthropologie Jeremey Tahari, CEO & Creative Director, Elie Tahari Elise de Saint Didier, Partner, Executive Recruiter / Digital Transformation, Chameleon Collective (Interviewer)

Notes

Shoptalk 2025 agenda details are accurate as of August 19, 2025.

Informing the data in this report are two online surveys of US consumers aged 18+, conducted by Coresight Research. The results have a margin of error of +/-5%, at a 95% confidence level. Visit our Methodology page to read more context for understanding the results of Coresight Research surveys.

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Discover how US consumer sentiment and beauty shopping trends are shifting amid economic uncertainty.

Read this report to discover answers to these and other questions:

How did consumer sentiment change after three weeks of improvement and what role did tariffs play?
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Which retailers are winning in beauty sales and how large is their lead over competitors?
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Data in this research report include: Consumer sentiment on household finances and the economy by income group; weekly and four-week rolling sentiment trends; beauty shopper penetration by retailer; beauty category purchase rates; social media platform influence on beauty shopping.

Companies mentioned in this report include: Albertsons Company, Amazon, Costco, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, eBay, Instagram, Kohl’s, Kroger, Macy’s, Sephora, Target, The TJX Companies, TikTok, Ulta Beauty, Walmart and YouTube.

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Understand why global luxury brands are buying—not renting—the world’s most coveted retail real estate.

Read this report to discover answers to these and other questions:

Why are luxury-goods brands shifting from leasing to owning prime retail locations?
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Companies mentioned in this report include: Chanel, Hermès, Kering, LVMH, Prada and Richemont.

Data in this report include: Notable acquisitions of real estate; global main street retail rent levels and increases

Other relevant research:

Fashion and Luxury Retail Hub

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The US apparel and footwear market is resetting in 2025, with adaptability becoming a key competitive advantage over scale. As demand fragments across digital-native players, off-price retailers and warehouse clubs, traditional specialty retailers and department stores face increasing pressure to differentiate themselves. The retailers poised to lead the market are those making bold moves now—namely, embracing agile design, faster production cycles and AI (artificial intelligence)-powered personalization and localization.

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Visit the Coresight Research Fashion and Luxury Hub to explore sector data, reports and company profiles.

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Welcome to Analyst Corner! Every Sunday, a member of the Coresight Research team discusses upcoming or recent research and their thoughts on interesting topics in their area of expertise.

This week, John Mercer, Head of Global Research and Managing Director of Data-Driven Research, discusses consumer sentiment trends we are seeing in China and the US, based on data from our proprietary weekly surveys, including the factors that likely supported consumer confidence in China and the US ahead of expected new tariffs.

Analyst Corner also highlights our key research from the past week and upcoming reports to look out for, so you don’t miss out.

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Read previous Analyst Corner reports, including last week’s report, which discusses the key drivers and trends that drove the recent performance of online home-goods retailer Wayfair, in which it turned a quarterly profit for the first time since 2021.
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Using data from the US Census Bureau, we analyze US retail sales in July 2025, in total and by sector.

Data in this research report are:

Year-over-year changes in US total retail sales (excluding gasoline and automobiles), July 2024–July 2025
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Our Three Data Points We’re Watching This Week series spotlights key data points from our research.

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Understand the latest shifts in UK retail store networks as openings edge ahead of closures.

Read this report to discover answers to these and other questions:

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The US and UK Store Tracker Databank is the definitive resource for information on store openings and closures by sector in the US and UK retail industries.
The Corporate and Financial Developments Databank includes details of management changes, financial guidance updates, retail and tech layoffs and capital raised by major retail companies.
The Retail Bankruptcies Databank details bankruptcies of US and UK retail companies, restaurants and gyms since March 2020.

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Uncover which retailers are driving the surge in US store closures—and who’s still expanding.

Read this report to discover answers to these and other questions:

Which retailers led this week’s spike in store closures and new openings across the US?
What expansion strategies are brands like 7-Eleven, Sally Beauty and Norman’s Hallmark pursuing?
How do 2025 store closure and opening trends compare to 2024—and what does the data reveal about retail health?

Companies mentioned in this report include: 7-Eleven, Ahold Delhaize, Allbirds, Boden, Crocs, Daiso, DUER, FatFace, Grocery Outlet, Huckberry, Norman’s Hallmark, Office Depot, Sally Beauty and Viberg.

Data in this report include: weekly totals of US store closures and openings for 2025 and 2024; retailer-level breakdowns of announced versus confirmed closures/openings; total store counts by retailer; total US retail bankruptcies year to date.

Other relevant research:

The full collection of Store Tracker reports, including our UK-focused series
The US and UK Store Tracker Databank is the definitive resource for information on store openings and closures by sector in the US and UK retail industries.
The Corporate and Financial Developments Databank includes details of management changes, financial guidance updates, retail and tech layoffs and capital raised by major retail companies.
The Retail Bankruptcies Databank details bankruptcies of US and UK retail companies, restaurants and gyms since March 2020.

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Discover how $100+ billion in mega-deals are reshaping the global CPG industry’s shift toward premium, functional and globally scaled brands.

Read this report to uncover answers to these and other key questions:

How are major CPG companies rebalancing portfolios and focusing on high margin “power brands” while divesting slower growth divisions?
What role are health, wellness and functional nutrition trends playing in driving M&A activity and reshaping brand strategies?
Why are premiumization and cultural relevance becoming central drivers behind multi-billion-dollar acquisitions?
How are companies expanding cross border and diversifying growth models to access innovation and new markets?

Companies mentioned in this report include: Advent International, BlueTriton, Carlsberg, Church & Dwight, Danone, Ferrero, Flowers Foods, General Mills, Glanbia, Hershey, Japan Tobacco, Kellanova, Kimberly Clark, Kraft Heinz, Mars, PepsiCo, Reckitt, Unilever, WK Kellogg and more.

Data in this report include: Major CPG M&A and divestment events with deal values and rationales; timeline of key transactions; portfolio reshaping toward high margin core categories; premiumization and cross border expansion trends.

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The Weekly US Consumer Sentiment infographic series from Coresight Research takes a regular temperature check on US consumer sentiment in the context of shifts in the macroeconomic landscape.

Data in this infographic are proprietary survey findings on:

US consumers’ expectations for the economy overall and for their own personal financial situation over the next 12 months
Sentiment trends by income (selected insights)

Dive into the research behind this infographic: Sentiment, Tariffs and Inflation—How Is the US Shopper Reacting? US Consumer Survey Insights

Other relevant research:

All Weekly US Consumer Sentiment infographics (The series launched in early March 2025.)
The Coresight Research US Consumer Survey Databank provides additional insight into US consumer behaviors from our weekly surveys.

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Understand how rising retail theft and innovative loss-prevention measures are reshaping shopper behavior and retailer strategies in the US and UK.

Read this report to discover answers to these and other questions:

How concerned are US shoppers about price increases linked to retail theft, and what do they think about government enforcement?
What major developments have occurred recently in self-checkout practices, cargo theft trends, and new anti-theft technologies in both the US and UK?
How are North American retailers reporting progress on shrink reduction, and what strategies are driving their cautious optimism?

Companies mentioned in this report include: Academy Sports and Outdoors, Adidas, Albertsons, Amazon, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Walmart and Williams-Sonoma.

Data in this report include: US consumer survey results on attitudes to shoplifting and theft-prevention measures; police-recorded shoplifting offenses in England and Wales with year-over-year change; retailer commentary on shrink from recent quarterly earnings calls.

Other relevant research:

All reports in our Retail Crime and Shrink series
More coverage of physical retail and retail management
Visit the Coresight Research Retail Technology Hub to explore reports, data and competitive landscapes on technology.

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This report went to press before the US and China extended their truce on tariffs for a further 90 days, on August 11.

The Coresight Research monthly China Consumer Survey Insights series takes a regular temperature check on Chinese consumers’ behaviors and sentiment, based on exclusive proprietary survey data.

In this research report, we present findings from our latest weekly surveys, with the most recent undertaken on July 28, 2025. We spotlight developments in consumer sentiment on the economic and financial outlooks.

Data in this research report are:

Consumers’ expectations for economic conditions and personal finances in the next 12 months
How consumers’ financial situation now compares to 12 months ago
Activities that consumers have done in the past two weeks
What products consumers have bought in-store and online in the last two weeks

Other relevant research:

Read the full series of China Consumer Survey Insights
The Coresight Research China Retail Sales Databank brings together retail sales data to help you understand the trajectory of retail in China.
Interested in more consumer survey analysis? Check out our US Consumer Survey Insights series.

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Discover how leading retailers are building the “store of the future” to unlock performance through innovation.

Read this report to discover answers to these and other questions:

What are the most costly inefficiencies in store operations, and why do inventory-related challenges top the list?
How are global retailers prioritizing the four pillars of the store of the future, and which innovations are driving shopper experience?
Which store intelligence technologies are attracting the most investment, and what benefits are they delivering across use cases?
What barriers are hindering technology adoption, and how can retailers create a strategic blueprint to overcome them?

Companies mentioned in this report include: Albertsons, Carrefour, Kroger, Macy’s, NCR Voyix, Sainsbury’s, VusionGroup and Walmart.

This report is produced and made available to non-subscribers of Coresight Research in partnership with Tech Mahindra, an IT services and consulting firm.

Executive Summary

Investing to improve and modernize store operations is critical for retailers to deliver exceptional shopping experiences, improve shopper loyalty and drive sales. There is a huge opportunity for retailers to identify challenges in their store operations and work toward unifying the shopper journey, enhancing the shopper experience, optimizing labor productivity and maximizing store sales—the four pillars for building the “store of the future.”

Retailers must understand what is truly driving the need to introduce advanced technologies and the challenges they face. They can then identify key technologies and their benefits as well as building an understanding of deterrents and barriers to technology adoption in order to devise a strategic approach to technology implementation that would maximize return on investment (ROI).

Analysis in this report is based on a global survey of 360 retail business decision-makers conducted in April 2025.

Coresight Research Analysis

1. Ineffective Management of Stores Is Costly; Inventory-Related Issues Present the Greatest Challenges

Our survey data reveal that 84% of retailers are challenged in managing store operations. Ineffective management of store-related business functions leads to revenue and margin erosion.
While the most prevalent challenges are related to demand forecasting and inventory management, they extend beyond inventory, too, to checkout friction and limited ability of store associates to service shoppers.

2. Retailers Bet Big on “Store of the future”

An overwhelming majority (92%) of global retailers are investing in solutions aimed at optimizing store operations across the four pillars of the store of the future, per our survey.
Shopper experience emerged as the most important pillar in building store of the future, cited at the most important by 40% of respondents.

3. Retailers Are Investing in Multiple Technologies to Optimize Store Operations; Benefits Span Multiple Use Cases

Which store intelligence technologies are attracting the greatest investment? We found that 57% of retailers are currently investing in advanced data analytics solutions—the highest level across all technologies, although it ranked third in terms of perceived importance in building store of the future. Automated inventory tracking systems are perceived as the most important.
The three biggest benefits of investing in technology to optimize store operations are improved product availability, improved automation and improved availability of real-time data, cited by the highest proportions of investing retailers.

4. Barriers to Technology Adoption Underline the Importance of Having a Strategic Investment Blueprint

Incorporating technology into retail operations involves multiple moving parts and can be cumbersome and challenging. High costs are the biggest barrier to technology implementation, but data security concerns are also rife.
Retailers need to have a strategic and phased approach to adopting modern technology solutions. Additionally, setting clear and timeline-bound goals can also help quantify ROI.

What We Think

Driven by factors such as the financial impact of ineffective store management and rising shopper expectations, we expect stores to be at the forefront of retailers’ investment plans in the near term—and the store intelligence technology market is poised for robust growth.

The state of in-store retailing is far from perfect. Persistent and pressing inefficiencies such as an inability to accurately forecast demand, a lack of real-time availability of inventory and visibility into store operations, ineffective promotion execution, and poor scheduling/WFM capabilities continue to add friction to the shopping experience. The time for building store of the future is now, and retailers must move with purpose to effectively overcome these pressing issues and optimize operations across their entire store fleet.

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Reasons to Read

On August 12, 2025, Deborah Weinswig, CEO and Founder of Coresight Research, and R.J. Hottovy, Head of Analytical Research at Placer.ai, presented a comprehensive session exploring the data and trends shaping retail in the third quarter of 2025. The session provided valuable insights for executives and industry leaders looking to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving retail landscape.

This presentation covered:

2025 Midyear Review–A deep dive into key trends and emerging themes impacting retail, with strategic implications for businesses in 2025.
Shopper Traffic & Sentiment–An analysis of shifts in consumer behavior and sentiment, offering a clearer picture of evolving purchasing patterns.
Sector & Category Performance–A breakdown of sector performance, highlighting key leaders and laggards in today’s retail environment.
State of the Mall–Insights into changing traffic dynamics, tenant mix, and the retail innovations reshaping the mall experience.
Back-to-School Shopping–A look at consumer demand signals and trends shaping the back-to-school shopping season.
2025 Outlook–Strategic insights into what’s ahead for the remainder of 2025, identifying growth opportunities and priorities for the future.

This presentation provided actionable insights on the critical factors driving retail performance in the third quarter of 2025 and beyond, offering valuable takeaways for businesses looking to optimize strategy and growth.

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Executive Summary

Coresight Research Insights

Notable Themes

Introduction

A Guide to Shoptalk Fall 2025: Coresight Research Insights

Notable Sessions Across Four Major Themes

1. Data-driven and AI-augmented retail intelligence

2. Product curation and innovation under pressure

3. Brand identity, loyalty and customer experience in a shifting world

4. Leading through volatility and change

Notes

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Executive Summary

Coresight Research Analysis

1. Ineffective Management of Stores Is Costly; Inventory-Related Issues Present the Greatest Challenges

2. Retailers Bet Big on “Store of the future”

3. Retailers Are Investing in Multiple Technologies to Optimize Store Operations; Benefits Span Multiple Use Cases

4. Barriers to Technology Adoption Underline the Importance of Having a Strategic Investment Blueprint

What We Think

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