The competition in retail is relentless, with generative AI, sustainability, and increasingly complex customer journeys driving major changes. Retailers must continuously find new ways to stand out. 

Ole Johan Lindøe, Vice President of Digital Commerce at Columbus Norway, takes the temperature on the latest trends in the industry. Drawing on his latest experiences from NRF in New York and D-Congress in Gothenburg, he compares trends from both events and shares predictions from industry leaders about the future.

Dive into the top trends in retail here:

What can retailers expect for the future of retail?

“You need to deliver an extended experience, whether or not they’re shopping. Every person you interact with needs to feel like a potential VIP customer. It’s easy to say, but hard to do. You also need to ensure your systems are integrated so you can access the relevant product and customer information at the right time.”

This leads to the question of how retailers will adapt to these trends, especially since improving customer experience often involves adopting new technologies, which can present their own set of challenges. 

Mathias Krümmel, CEO at DHL Freight Sweden, shared a similar perspective during the roundtable discussion Columbus hosted when asked about his top tips for success with digital transformation:

Keep trying. Start small and celebrate every success, because it shapes your culture. And when you fail, embrace it as well—failure is where we learn and grow, helping us move forward.