By Raj Sangha, VP Sales, Publitas
The Retail Technology Show 2025 took place last week at London’s ExCeL and was, frankly, excellent. With over 15,000 senior retail professionals, 400+ tech suppliers, and more than 125 industry-leading speakers under one roof, RTS 2025 delivered two days of cutting-edge innovation, thoughtful debate, and powerful networking. Here are just a few of the insights I walked away with:
Don’t Separate Stores – Integrate Them
One of the standout messages came from Paul Sims, former M&S Chief Architect, who took a refreshingly blunt stance: stop treating physical stores like the odd one out. Sims argued that stores don’t need “special treatment” in the digital world; they need to be part of the whole. Omnichannel, he said, is outdated. Customers don’t think in channels, so why should retailers?
It’s a message that resonated. At Publitas, we’ve long supported this idea through our digital catalog platform, which connects the dots between offline inspiration and online conversion. The real focus should be on delivering a seamless experience, not because it’s a buzzword but because it’s what customers expect.
Rob Barnes, Asda’s CIO, backed this up with some welcome realism. He reminded us that customers don’t care about terms like “seamless” or “omnichannel;” they just want things to work. Execution, not jargon, wins the day.
Live Shopping is on the Rise
TikTok Shop brought some real energy to the event with a compelling pitch for live shopping. According to Nora Zukauskaite, their Integrated Marketing Director, 2025 is shaping up to be the year live shopping truly hits the mainstream. With real-time interaction, dynamic pricing, and even prize mechanics baked in, it blends entertainment and commerce in a way that traditional formats simply can’t match.
And it’s not just the big players who are seeing results. Many of the most successful live shopping setups, particularly in the beauty and fashion space, start with nothing more than a phone in someone’s kitchen.
It was another reminder that agility often trumps polish and why tools that let retailers get to market faster, like what we offer at Publitas are becoming essential rather than optional.
AI: From Hype to Real Application
Unsurprisingly, AI was everywhere and was mentioned at just about every booth. But cutting through the noise was Profitmind, which deservedly picked up the Retail Technology Show 2025 Innovation Award. Rather than vague promises, it showed a tangible application of AI for commercial gain: using generative and agentic AI to monitor competitors, analyse internal data, and drive margin improvements.
It was great to see AI being used in ways that actually move the needle, not just talk about it.
Retail Media Takes Centre Stage at Retail Technology Show 2025
If there’s one takeaway that really stuck with me, it’s this: retail media is fast becoming a must-have. In the face of inflation, margin pressure, and a cautious consumer, retailers are looking for new revenue streams that don’t involve raising prices — and retail media ticks all the boxes.
Tesco and Pepsi made a strong case for what’s possible when brands and retailers work together. By leveraging Tesco’s loyalty data, Pepsi could run hyper-relevant, high-performing campaigns right at the point of purchase. It outperformed TV ads, and thanks to real-time data, it could be optimised on the fly.
It got me thinking about what’s next for us at Publitas. Our Product Team is already exploring how our dynamic catalogs can serve as personalised retail media hubs, giving even smaller retailers a way to tap into this growing opportunity. It’s an exciting space, and the Retail Technology Show 2025 confirmed we’re heading in the right direction.
Looking Ahead – With Purpose, Not Just Pace
More than anything, the Retail Technology Show 2025 reinforced that retail doesn’t stand still but doesn’t run blindly. The best ideas weren’t just shiny tech demos; they were grounded in what shoppers actually want: simplicity, relevance, and value.
As someone who works closely with retailers daily, it was brilliant to see so many conversations shift from theoretical to practical, not “what if,” but “how now.” And for us at Publitas, it’s encouraging to know that what we’re building isn’t just innovative but also useful.
Until next year.
About Raj Sangha
Raj is an experienced Commercial Director in the Retail Tech software industry, with 25 years of expertise in leading high-performing sales teams and driving business growth. He focuses on delivering innovative solutions and building strategic partnerships in dynamic markets.
