In 2025, the big retail trends are reshaping how technology leaders tackle transformation, security, and customer experience.
CIOs at mid-to large-scale retailers are under pressure to modernise architecture and lift the customer experience, while improving efficiency and meeting new regulatory requirements.
56% say future-proofing their architecture is a high priority in 2025. This guide sets out the top retail trends for CIOs and what each means.
Trend 1 / Composable Commerce and MACH Architecture
Large retailers are swapping monoliths for MACH (microservices, API-first, cloud-native, headless) so they can ship features quickly, change parts without a rebuild, and avoid lock-in.
In 2025, 91% of enterprises increased their MACH footprint. Retailers lead the way, and organisations expect almost 61% of the stack to be MACH by 2026.
Action Points for CIOs:
- Map the stack into domains (search, pricing, checkout, content). Carve out one domain and replace it with a microservice or SaaS PBC, adopting a gradual, iterative approach, which minimises risks and allows for early feedback.
- Microservices speed release cycles and enable true omnichannel, if the organisation is ready.
- Put an API gateway and observability in from day one. You’ll need strong release, monitoring, and security patterns to manage outer complexity.
- Treat product data as a first-class domain. A MACH-based PIM gives high-scale syndication via APIs and reduces rework across channels.
Trend 2 / Practical AI: Latest CIO Technology Trend in Retail
AI has moved from experiment to engine room. On the front end Amazon’s Rufus is a live, generative shopping assistant in the app and on the desktop; Amazon is also expanding AI features such as product audio summaries. Retailers are rolling out visual search and chat-led discovery across sites and apps.
Inside the business, AI writes and translates product copy at scale, supports merchandisers on range and pricing decisions, and sharpens forecasts.
In practice, retail AI now spans a lot: recommendation engines, chatbots, visual and voice search for customers; demand planning, inventory optimisation, dynamic pricing and robotics in the back office.
2025 is also the rise of generative and “agentic” AI. Generative AI uses large models to create content and hold useful conversations. Agentic AI wraps those models in tools and workflows so software agents can take actions on their own, not just answer a chat.
Action Points for CIOs:
- Start with content at scale: use AI to generate descriptions and attributes from existing data and images, with human review in the loop. AI Enrich and AI Linguist are built for this inside Bluestone PIM.
- Use agent-style automation for repetitive decisions (e.g., markdown suggestions, K-level support, basic catalogue QA).
- Build the pipeline: clean data in, track prompts/outputs, route for approval, and publish via APIs.
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Trend 3 / Data Foundations: Make Product Content Your Single Source Of Truth
Conversion, SEO, and returns are driven by product content quality.
Shoppers say product information and pictures matter at the point of choice; richer, accurate content lifts conversion and reduces returns. A modern composable PIM software centralises attributes, assets and regulatory docs, then syndicates to web, apps, marketplaces, print, and partners.
Action Points for CIOs:
- Implement PIM software as the system of record for product; push to all channels from one place. Track product completeness and prevent publishing until standards are met.
- Use built-in AI features for enrichment and translations to speed onboarding and localisation.
- Wire PIM to CMS, search, and e-commerce via connectors to cut manual syncs.
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Trend 4 / Omnichannel Expectations and Behaviour Shifts
Modern shoppers expect real-time stock visibility, consistent pricing, fast checkout and flexible returns across all channels.
At the same time, privacy concerns are rising. From 2025, stricter regulations and greater user control will require brands to balance personalisation with transparent and trustworthy data practices.
That puts customer experience squarely on the IT roadmap. CIOs need true omnichannel: break down data silos and build a single view of customer, orders, and inventory across every touchpoint. A unified commerce platform that brings together point-of-sale, e-commerce, and order management lets stores and sites run on the same real-time data.
To hit personalisation goals, back it with advanced analytics and a customer data platform drawing on loyalty, browsing, and in-store signals. In parallel, raise the bar on privacy and security: design for consent, give people simple controls, and be explicit about how data is used.
Action Points for CIOs:
- Unify inventory, orders, and customer views so the experience stays consistent across app, store, and web.
- Put consent, preference centres, and clear data use notices into the UX, no dark patterns.
Trend 5 / Supply Chain Digitisation and Resilience
Disruptions keep coming. Research shows disruptions of one to two months occur about every 3.7 years, with heavy profit impact, so “see early, act early” matters.
Many teams are still early on AI in supply chains: 77% reported AI not yet integrated in 2024 surveys, showing a gap and an opportunity. Leaders are rolling out RFID/IoT, control towers, and predictive analytics.
Action Points for CIOs:
- Stand up a control tower that fuses POS, DC, carrier, and supplier data; add AI alerts for lead-time slips and risk signals.
- Extend RFID/item-level tracking across DCs and stores.
- Build digital twins for ‘what-if’ planning; pair with nearshoring decisions.
Trend 6 / Sustainability and the Digital Product Passport (DPP)
Europe’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation will introduce a Digital Product Passport: a digital ‘card’ with origin, materials, repairability/recyclability and more, accessible via QR/RFID.
Timelines roll in by sector, with broad coverage expected from 2026; non-EU brands selling into the EU need to comply. The industry is already prototyping DPP and related experiences.
Action Points for CIOs:
- Use a PIM software as the DPP data hub to store material composition, certificates, lifecycle and disposal guidance, then expose via APIs/QR.
- Pilot one category (e.g., apparel line) with on-product QR and a live passport; brands such as H&M Group and Nobody’s Child show the path.
- Plan governance now: who owns the data, how updates happen, how suppliers contribute, and how customers access it.
Trend 7 / Cybersecurity Trends 2025 for CIOs
Composable stacks expand the attack surface: more APIs, more vendors, more edge devices. Make API security, identity, and fraud controls part of your baseline. Move to zero-trust patterns, protect machine-to-machine traffic, and test third-party failure modes. Treat models like software: version them, scan dependencies, and monitor drift.
Action Points for CIOs:
- API security and machine-to-machine traffic protection.
- Identity-first architecture with strong authentication and fine-grained authorization.
- Fraud and bot detection at the edge to safeguard customer experience.
The Bottom Line
Retail CIOs in 2025 are steering organisations through a perfect storm of change. The move to MACH architecture accelerates agility, AI adoption goes mainstream, and data foundations such as PIM systems become critical to omnichannel success.
Ready to act? Talk to our experts for a focused working session on MACH choices, PIM, AI workflows, and DPP readiness. Or book a demo to see how a MACH-based PIM cleans up product data, lifts conversion, and sets you up for compliance.
