As we look ahead to NRF 2025, one theme resonates: bold strategies will shape the future of digital commerce. The retail landscape continues to accelerate, driven by breakthroughs in AI, the blending of online and offline worlds, and the rise of truly global, connected ecosystems.
To help merchants navigate this pivotal moment, Forter has partnered with AWS, Builder.io, ESW, PwC, and Salesforce — each at the forefront of reimagining retail possibilities. From generative AI’s coming-of-age to rethinking the store’s purpose, these insights point toward a future where commerce is more intuitive, inclusive, and resilient.
AWS: Generative AI for Retail
David Dorf, Worldwide Retail Solutions Leader, AWS
By 2025, generative AI will move beyond pilot programs and become a practical force in retail innovation. It will empower virtual shopping assistants to engage more naturally, enable hyper-personalized journeys that adapt to each shopper’s context, and streamline decision-making with domain-specific models.
Virtual Shopping Assistants like Amazon’s Rufus will provide conversational, expert guidance for online shoppers, answering complex product questions. Hyper-personalization will leverage generative AI to create individualized shopping experiences, tailoring product recommendations, marketing, and offers to each customer. Virtual Try-on technology will help overcome online shopping hesitations by allowing customers to visualize products in context, which is particularly beneficial for fashion and furniture retailers.
On the technology front, AI Agents will move beyond simple chatbots to become autonomous task-performers capable of complex activities like pricing research.
At NRF 2025, AWS will highlight how tapping into these mature AI capabilities can help merchants orchestrate more prosperous customer relationships in an increasingly dynamic market.
Builder.io: Accelerating Iteration Velocity to Exceed Customer Expectations
Brent Locks, President & COO, Builder.io
In an era of instant gratification and evolving tastes, the ability to rapidly launch, refine, and personalize experiences is key. Builder.io enables retailers to adapt their digital storefronts at the speed of change — turning ideas into live experiences in hours, not weeks, by allowing:
- Digital merchandisers and growth teams to ship and iterate on web and mobile experiences without relying on developers for everything. For example, Harry’s rapidly turns designs into live landing pages in less than a day.
- Front-end developers convert Figma designs into code 80% more efficiently. With this workflow, one UX designer at a luxury retailer is building pages 50% faster, and another online retailer was able to build an entire customer dashboard within hours.
- Anyone to personalize and A/B test without affecting web or mobile performance. With Builder, Everlane’s site merchandisers were able to launch 100+ personalized variations of their homepage in a single month.
ESW: Global Omnichannel Opportunities
Faiza Belgroune, VP, Partnerships, ESW
As commerce transcends borders, the challenge lies in unifying logistics, inventory, and customer experience across myriad markets. ESW envisions a 2025 where global expansion need not be daunting.
Managing a worldwide network of inventory and logistics providers while localizing the shopping experience and creating loyal customers in diverse markets is necessary for growth but is also time- and resource-intensive. An omnichannel approach solves these business needs.
ESW takes the complexity out of international expansion. As a merchant of record, ESW also assumes the responsibility for tax remittance, regulatory compliance, and risk management in every market. Learn more about how we can make your worldwide ecommerce powerful and simple through innovative offerings like omnichannel fulfillment and logistics.
PwC: The Store of the Future
Kelly Pedersen, Retail Leader & Ali Furman, Consumer Markets Industry Leader
In the digital age, physical stores are far from becoming obsolete. Instead, they’re reestablishing parts of an omnichannel retail ecosystem that can blend real-life experiences with digital technology.
PwC’s 2024 Holiday Outlook Survey indicates that Gen Z and millennials, with their increasing spending power and preference for technology, are helping drive this change. These groups are spending more than Gen X and baby boomers. They’re also contributing to a resurgence in in-store traffic with their demand for engaging and interactive shopping experiences. They expect smooth and tech-enhanced shopping, regardless of whether they are buying online or in-store.
The store of the future, a frictionless, tech-enabled hub, will be more than just a place to buy things. It’s becoming an intelligent space for connected brand exploration.
To learn more, connect with PwC at NRF 2025!
Salesforce: AI-Driven Experiences
As AI matures, it becomes a trusted co-pilot — empowering human teams rather than replacing them. Salesforce’s vision for 2025 centers on AI-driven CRM that adapts to the nuances of every interaction.
Agents will work alongside autonomous tools, unified data, and accessible analytics to better understand each customer’s journey, ultimately enabling businesses of all sizes to scale meaningful relationships. This human-plus-AI model transforms commerce into a more empathetic, personalized, and forward-thinking endeavor where innovation serves customers and communities alike.
Embrace the Future at NRF 2025
The retail future is already unfolding, and today’s choices will reverberate for years. Join Forter and our partners — AWS, Builder.io, ESW, PwC, and Salesforce — at Cocktails & Commerce: A Night Out at Nordstrom during NRF 2025 to engage with industry trailblazers, explore the strategies that will define the next era of retail and discover how you can adapt and lead in a new age of commerce. Reserve your spot and help shape the conversation that moves the industry forward.
