Dive into the data to explore key trends shaping consumer behavior in 2025 and discover strategies helping top brands drive foot traffic to brick-and-mortar stores. Read the report to find out: 

Who are the shoppers driving the shift towards thrift stores and off-price apparel retailers? 

How has consumer interaction with superstores changed over the past five years?

Which retail category has emerged as a new, hot lunchtime destination? 

The apparel space has faced considerable headwinds in recent years – from changing consumer preferences to cutbacks in discretionary spending. We dove into the data for various apparel categories to explore emerging industry trends and see what foot traffic patterns can tell us about the state of apparel in 2025.

Key Takeaways

Between 2019 and 2024, the share of apparel visits going to off-price retailers and thrift store categories increased substantially, likely due to consumers’ prioritization of value and treasure-hunting. 

It’s here: our 2025 Commerce and Payment Trends Report. An invaluable resource for business leaders as they define their strategy to navigate the challenges, changes, and opportunities this pivotal year will bring. Drawing from our proprietary survey data, research, and conversations with industry experts, we’ve identified six consequential developments that are shaping the future of commerce — along with insights to help you use them to your advantage and come out on top in 2025. 

The IAB Connected Commerce Summit had one key focus: creating experiences that resonate deeply with consumers. Here’s what stood out. On stage were Mike Brunick, SVP, Head of Commerce Media at Yahoo; Devrie DeMarco, Managing Director at MediaLink/UTA; and Wendi Dunlap, EVP, Business Intelligence and Audience Science at Mediahub Worldwide.

Together, we dove into how AI is reshaping creative strategies and, most importantly, how it’s knitting together the online and offline worlds to build seamless customer experiences.

As we progress through 2025, the evolution of technology stands as a critical factor reshaping how brands connect with their customers. A confluence of consumer demands and technological advancements is fostering a new era in retail, where the focus is squarely on enhancing customer experiences. Within this landscape, three key trends have emerged: SoftPOS, immersive experiences, and digital identity. Each of these innovations presents a unique opportunity to redefine consumer engagement and streamline operations across the retail sector.

What do marketers need to know to map a seamless full-funnel journey, from online discovery to in-store purchase? Today’s consumers seamlessly merge e-commerce and in-store experiences, creating personalized journeys that demand a full-funnel marketing approach. 71% of consumers still shop at brick-and-mortar stores.

Yet only 33% shop without digital assistance, relying on online research, mobile apps, or social media to guide them.

In recent years, the retail landscape has been transformed by the advent of automation, marking a significant shift in how consumers interact with products and services. Some of the technologies appearing in retail stores now include self-checkout stations, endless aisle kiosks and digital displays that incorporate Internet-of-Things devices to control content.

And as retailers seek to manage issues ranging from the high capital costs of expansion to the hits their bottom lines are taking because of inventory shrink, many are adopting automated retail solutions.

Brick-and-click retailers can struggle to balance local and ecommerce search engine optimization. A physical store wants to target folks in a geographic area and drive in-person visits, while an ecommerce site aims for buyers anywhere. Different goals, however, don’t necessarily mean there is a problem.

Imagine a furniture retailer with dozens of stores in California and Florida. The CEO could message the marketing team concerned that ecommerce represents less than 20% of total revenue. Her concern the next day could be a new Miami store not appearing on a local Google search.