FOOD IINNDDUUSSTTRYRY RETAIL TECHNOLOGY TRENDS FOR 2025 How to Benefit from Them By Ron Margulis s we move toward 2025, the retail industry conti- popular within Hispanic communities, into customer service nues to undergo rapid transformation, with and shopping experiences will be essential. Hispanic retailers emerging technologies reshaping customer expe- can use platforms like this to o昀昀er personalized interactions, riences, operations and business models. Retailers from con昀椀rming orders to o昀昀ering tailored recommenda- Athat adapt to these trends will stay competitive, tions. By creating a seamless experience, retailers can build but those who strategically align these advancements with loyalty and drive repeat sales. their unique customer base can thrive. For Hispanic retailers leveraging these trends is not just about staying relevant but 3. VOICE COMMERCE AND NATURAL creating a cultural and economic advantage. LANGUAGE PROCESSING (NLP) 1. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) By next year, voice commerce will be even more AND MACHINE LEARNING (ML) commonplace, allowing customers to make purchases via voice assistants like Amazon Alexa. Hispanic retailers can I’ve discussed AI and ML in my columns already, but by 2025 take advantage of this trend by ensuring their product listings they will be even more pervasive. Predictive analytics and and services are accessible via voice commands. In particular, personalized recommendations will allow retailers to tailor providing bilingual support for both English and Spanish- o昀昀erings to individual customer needs more e昀昀ectively. speaking customers will be crucial. NLP helps retailers Hispanic retailers, with their deep cultural ties and commu- better understand the needs of their diverse customer base nity-based operations, can use AI to o昀昀er personalized by analyzing not only what customers are buying but how products and services that re昀氀ect their customers' preferen- they are talking about products. For instance, integrating ces. For example, AI tools that analyze purchasing behavior voice search in both languages o昀昀ers a personalized shopping can suggest traditional Hispanic foods or products tied to experience for Hispanic customers, further building brand speci昀椀c holidays such as Día de los Muertos or Hispanic loyalty and engagement. Hispanic retailers catering to this Heritage Month. 吀栀ese systems can also automate mundane segment have a competitive advantage in serving a bilingual tasks like inventory management, allowing small businesses market more e昀昀ectively. to focus on customer service and community engagement, To take full advantage of these trends, Hispanic retailers crucial elements of their business model. should invest in education and training on the latest retail technologies. Partnering with tech companies or retail 2. OMNICHANNEL SHOPPING associations that o昀昀er resources and tools will be critical in navigating this rapidly changing landscape. Furthermore, Omnichannel shopping is another topic I’ve reported on and small and medium-sized businesses can work together to there continues to be a blurred line between physical and create collective bargaining opportunities for technology digital retail. Hispanic retailers, particularly those in under- investments, ensuring they stay competitive while served communities, can use this trend to widen their reach maintaining their cultural and community focus. without signi昀椀cant brick-and-mortar expansion. O昀昀ering Hispanic retailers have a unique opportunity to leverage a smooth shopping experience on mobile apps, websites, these technology trends while staying true to their and social media platforms can help retailers connect with community-oriented and culturally rich values tech-savvy Hispanic customers, who are increasingly turning to online shopping. Integrating WhatsApp, which is highly 2828 NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR/ D/ DECECEEMMBBEER 2R 200224 4 AABBAASSTOTO..CCOOMM