Takeaways from "Retail's Big Show" at NRF
Hear what Jamf learned at the NRF 2025 Retail’s Big Show, including what’s next for retail and how technology will play a major part in what’s to come.
On Sunday, January 12, thousands of retailers, technology vendors, exhibitors and business leaders streamed into the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan to discuss what’s next for retail in 2025 and beyond at the National Retail Federation conference, Retail's Big Show.
You can feel the energy this week... that's reflective of the fact that, while we all know that retail is about innovation, what makes the retail industry really special are the people... The retail industry is a people business.
Top retail firms are looking for strategies to help take their brands into the future. NRF’s Big Show highlighted key trends including:
- Improving the customer and employee experience with technology
- How to innovate with agility and flexibility
- Responding to growing cyber threats
Enhancing the retail experience
With customers shopping more and more online, retail stores need to evolve their strategy. This involves improving both the customer and the employee experience. As Kevin Ervin Kelley, Principal and Co-Founder at Shook Kelley said in his session, "Online shopping may have the monopoly on price, but it doesn’t have the monopoly on joy."
Customers who go to brick-and-mortar storefronts are expecting a certain experience. This could be a "connection to the past," as Dylan's Candy Bar CEO Dylan Lauren posits, or other technical advantages. Many customers start online and go to physical stores to purchase the item, expecting to be able to find specific SKUs they found online.
Having technology that is reliable, secure and compliant goes a long way in curating a seamless experience for customers — and employees. When your tech is up to date and in sync with your physical stores, it's easier for customers to find what they're looking for and for employees to help them out.
"Technology not only drives the customer experience but also associate experience…Frictionless experience is going to increase employee satisfaction… which ultimately will increase customer satisfaction which will drive loyalty.”
Innovating at the speed of light
Technology that gets the job done is a great place to be — but only for a while. With increasing expectations and technological innovation, there's room to take the retail experience to the next level. Mobile devices increase efficiency and reduce a company's hardware footprint, helping businesses focus more on serving their employees and customers, instead of being bogged down by their technology. Businesses like Lululemon "use technology to enhance guests' experiences," by leveraging AI to inform and drive the data behind logistics, experience and design.
In fact, retail is the third-largest industry to invest in AI in 2024, with a $25 billion investment. Businesses use AI for:
- Smart stores that track traffic flow and customer usage data
- Supply chain management
- Inventory management
- Upskilling employees to cut down common tasks without introducing noise
The right technology helps scale and manage their business. Levi's gives their stylists "back pocket" devices to grant them a 360° view of the customer, like their past orders, fit, etc. Tools like this that are catered toward your business needs amplify the shopping experience in your store.
As mentioned in multiple sessions, now, more than ever, is the time to leverage partners' expertise. Whether it's a cybersecurity vendor to keep your devices secure, innovators to help your business stay on the cutting edge or consultants that help you get the most out of your technology, partners can help your organization excel even further.
Supported by Jamf and Jamf Marketplace partners, attendees who explored iOS Avenue learned how to connect their employees and customers to the solutions needed to run a modern retail store.
Attendees got live demos for modern point of sale, inventory, retail planograms, employee enablement, fitting room technology, and docking and charging solutions — all powered by iOS Jamf and Marketplace partners. These demos gave them a peek at how to bring the employee and shopper experience to the next level.
Evolving cyber threats
With increased tech use also comes more potential vulnerabilities. Retail organizations are expected to store, process and protect customer and company data more than ever before. Ransomware, new internet-facing exposure, an increase in Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and AI-related threats leave the retail and hospitality industries exposed. Attackers are looking to steal credentials, payment information and more — retailers expect challenges to increase.
Mentioned in a session with ULTA Beauty, Tapestry, Inc., Palo Alto Networks and Home Depot, retail is "built on thin margins and cost," requiring business to leverage "end-to-end security solutions" to defend their assets and data. Many companies rely on their partners to make up for their cybersecurity teams' lack of time and resources.
Join us next year for NRF 2026
At Jamf, we are excited to share the possibilities of Apple devices in retail stores. It is an exciting time for the retail industry with discussions around the intersection of digital and brick and mortar, leaning on store associates to strengthen customer experiences and how technology will lead retail into the future.
We’re eager to help retailers succeed with Apple and we could not be more excited to learn what's in store for 2026. Mark your calendar to stop in to see us next year at the NRF 2026 Retail’s Big Show and contact us to learn how we can help you reach your business goals today.
See how Jamf helps retailers get the most out of their devices.
