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Shoptalk Fall 2025 Is Approaching!
What last Fall taught us, and what’s coming to the stage this September in Chicago
Zihan Lyu
August 22, 2025
Hi there,
We’re back, and this time, it’s Chicago!
New here? Welcome to Unofficially Shoptalk - the insider’s lens on what’s really shaping the future of retail. Our mission: to get you closer to the conversations, strategies, and signals that matter most before, during, and after the event.
In this issue, we revisit what last fall taught us, spotlight the open questions still echoing from Vegas and Barcelona, and surface what to watch as Chicago prepares to take the stage.
🔁 What Last Year Taught Us
👥 Community became the backbone of brand durability
Glossier marked its 10th year by reminding the industry that loyalty is built on connection, not channel strategy. Build-A-Bear showed that experiences tied to memory and emotion create staying power long after the novelty fades.
📲 Omnichannel shifted from access to integration
McDonald’s highlighted how apps, kiosks, delivery, and drive-thru can function as a single system for engagement. The message was clear: omnichannel only works when data and decisions flow across every customer touchpoint.
🧠 AI moved into the core of operations
Retailers put AI to work in service, forecasting, and merchandising. IKEA and Zalando showed its potential to free staff and sharpen discovery, while others admitted they were still testing in pilots. AI is becoming part of the operating model.
🏬 Physical retail regained strategic weight
Pop-ups, curated tours, and even the return of catalogues underscored the value of in-person moments. Brands used physical formats to drive trust and reinforce identity, proving stores and experiences remain central to growth.
♻️ Change management and sustainability became boardroom issues
Target and Abercrombie stressed that technology adoption is only as strong as the organization behind it. Supply chain resilience and circularity were not side notes; they were presented as critical to long-term competitiveness.
Questions from Shoptalk US & Europe 2025 the industry is still answering
Las Vegas this spring put less emphasis on flashy debuts and more on stress testing current playbooks. The same themes resurfaced in Barcelona. The industry arrives in Chicago with a shared list of priorities.
❔ Is measurement finally moving past dashboards and into decisions
In the US, attribution took center stage as marketers asked for clarity that guides action. Europe echoed the same point and called time on last-click models that miss real impact. The takeaway on both sides of the Atlantic is simple. Measurement must inform trade-offs across retail media, social, and performance spend. Platforms like Fospha gained attention for linking investment to outcomes so teams can decide where to scale and where to cut.
❔ Can merchandising shift into predictive mode instead of reacting to demand
US leaders highlighted planning built on predictive signals and tighter links between demand sensing and inventory moves. Europe agreed but added a practical caveat. Forecasting only works when merchandising, supply chain, and store ops run on shared data and shared incentives. The hurdle is less about models and more about organizational readiness to make predictive workflows the default.
❔ Are loyalty programs becoming the real driver of media performance
US conversations showed loyalty data powering targeting and measurement in retail media networks. Europe expanded the idea and treated loyalty as an enterprise wide system that shapes experience, content, and service. The lesson is consistent. Loyalty cannot sit in a single team if it is expected to lift media performance, repeat behavior, and customer value.
🔮 What to Watch at Shoptalk Fall 2025
The Chicago agenda makes one thing clear: the focus is on execution in a market defined by volatility, shifting consumer expectations, and tighter margins. Four themes stand out.
🧠 Data-Driven and AI-Augmented Retail Intelligence
AI is being measured on its impact, not its promise. Sessions on forecasting, search, and retail intelligence will test how far teams have come in turning data into better decisions.
Sessions to watch:
- Scenario Planning in a Volatile World (Tailored Brands)
- Leveling Up on Search in the AI Era (Athleta, Target)
- Retail Intelligence: What AI Can – and Can’t – Do Today (Lowe’s, ThredUp, Tanger)
🔥 Product Curation and Innovation Under Pressure
Merchandising leaders are rethinking how they balance assortment, formats, and unified commerce. The spotlight is on moving beyond pilots and proving which models can scale.
Sessions to watch:
- Future-Proofing the Product Mix (Shopbop, Vans)
- Making New Formats Stick: Moving Beyond the Pilot Phase (SHEIN, Consortium Brand Partners)
- Unified Commerce Tools Powering Seamless Journeys (Bolt, Radar, Flagship, GreyOrange)
💧 Brand Identity, Loyalty, and Customer Experience in a Shifting World
The consumer landscape is fragmenting. Sessions here explore how loyalty, creative strategy, and brand partnerships can strengthen retention and long-term relevance.
Sessions to watch:
- Creative Optimization in the Age of Automation (Stitch Fix)
- Building Retention in Times of Change (Primark, Macy’s, Ruggable)
- Bold Campaigns, Unexpected Collabs, and Brand Guts (Coach, MCoBeauty, Teleties)
🌍 Leading Through Volatility and Change
The leadership track takes on profitability, culture, and organizational resilience. The emphasis is on what leaders do differently when pressure is constant.
Sessions to watch:
- The Profitability Pressure Cooker (Shutterfly, Parts Town)
- Leading Through Culture Shifts (ThredUp, Amazon Ring/Blink)
- What the Best Leaders Are Doing Differently (Anthropologie, Elie Tahari)
And this is where Fospha comes in. As AI reshapes workflows and retail media expands, marketing teams need full-funnel clarity on what actually drives growth. Fospha gives them that visibility, turning fragmented signals into actionable decisions.
📲 Like what you’re seeing?
And that’s just the beginning. We’ve got exclusive insights and game-changing ideas coming your way in the next few weeks - all designed to keep you ahead of the curve. Stay tuned, because Shoptalk Fall 2025 is about to get even more exciting!
The Unofficially Shoptalk Team
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