Defining the future of retail: AI, ESG and new rules

Retail has always been defined by people's needs, behaviors and tendencies.

- JEROME ANDREW GARCIA

Long before the dominance of digital platforms and artificial intelligence (AI), retail was built upon a deep understanding of the human being on the other side of the counter.

The National Retail Federation's NRF 2025: Retail's Big Show Asia Pacific trade show at Singapore's Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Center last June 3 to 5 2025 explored how these concepts can be complemented by emerging technologies. The trade show's overarching theme, "Retail Unlimited," emphasized the importance of keeping the human-centric principles of retail close to heart while navigating through our contemporary landscape's data-enabled AI technology, sustainability goals and generational perspectives.

AI has found a use case in most world industries. AI has been used to streamline processes, supplement tasks and decipher large amounts of data. Despite the aversion that some perspectives harbor when it comes to the discussion of AI's implications on job security and other perceived risks, there are more positive implications than negative ones.