What NRF 2025 Revealed About the Future of Luxury Retail — And Why Video Commerce Is Central to That Future
Key takeaways from the world’s largest retail event, and what they mean for jewelers and high-end retailers
The Retail Industry’s Annual Reality Check
Every January, the retail world converges on New York City for NRF: Retail’s Big Show. This year, January 12-14, over 40,000 industry leaders from 100+ countries gathered at the Javits Center to debate, discover, and deal.
For luxury retailers — particularly jewelers — NRF 2025 delivered a clear message: the brands winning today are the ones combining technology with humanity, digital reach with personal connection, and AI efficiency with authentic experience.
Here’s what we learned, and why it matters for your business.
Five Key Themes from NRF 2025
1. “Technology Is Not the Solution. It’s an Enabler.”
This quote, from LEGO’s Head of Global Retail Experience Martin Urrutia, became the unofficial theme of the conference.
Despite wall-to-wall AI demonstrations, the smartest voices in retail emphasized that technology serves a purpose — it doesn’t define one.
Target CEO Brian Cornell put it directly: “It’s the balance between technology and human interaction that’s going to pave the way for the future.”
Burberry CEO Joshua Schulman spoke about “magic and logic” — using data to inform decisions while preserving the creative intuition that makes luxury brands special.
What this means for jewelry retail:
Technology should enhance the personal connection that makes jewelry purchases memorable, not replace it. AI can help you understand customer preferences. Video commerce can extend your reach. But the expertise, trust, and human touch you provide? That remains irreplaceable.
2. Physical Retail Isn’t Dying — It’s Evolving
One of NRF 2025’s most consistent messages was the continued importance of physical stores — but with a crucial redefinition of their role.
Bloomingdale’s CEO Olivier Bron declared: “Our best marketing investment is the experience in the store.”
Dylan Lauren (Dylan’s Candy Bar) emphasized that physical spaces create memories that digital channels cannot match.
Starbucks revealed that 50% of orders now come through their app — yet they’re investing MORE in physical locations because stores build community and emotional connection.
The pattern: stores are becoming experience centers, not just transaction venues.
What this means for jewelry retail:
Your showroom isn’t competing with e-commerce — it’s complementing it. The key is extending that showroom experience to customers who can’t visit in person. This is exactly where video commerce becomes essential: bringing the in-store experience to remote customers through real-time, personal consultations.
3. Community Building Is a Two-Way Investment
Multiple sessions highlighted community as a strategic priority — but not just customer community.
Walmart’s John Furner spends two weeks per month in the field, interacting with team members. Lululemon’s CEO Calvin McDonald does the same.
H Mart, the largest Asian supermarket chain in America, has built its success on multi-generational shopping experiences that create cultural community, not just commercial transactions.
What this means for jewelry retail:
Your team IS your brand. Employees who feel valued become ambassadors. Customers who feel part of a community become loyal advocates. Both require genuine investment in relationships — not just transactions.
Video commerce amplifies this: when customers can connect face-to-face with knowledgeable staff, even remotely, they feel the community you’ve built.
4. AI Is Real — But Foundation Matters
NRF 2025 showcased impressive AI implementations:
- Walmart’s AI-driven demand forecasting reduced overstock by 15%
- Lowe’s digital twins simulate store layouts before physical changes
- Sephora’s Modiface AR technology increased online conversions by 20% and reduced returns by 12%
But sessions also acknowledged a sobering reality: “The pace of innovation is outpacing the pace of adoption.”
Many retailers lack the data infrastructure, process clarity, and cultural readiness to benefit from AI.
What this means for jewelry retail:
Start with fundamentals:
- Clean, organized customer data
- Consistent processes for consultations and follow-up
- Team training on new technologies
- Integration between your various systems
AI can’t fix a broken foundation. Build the basics first, then technology becomes a multiplier.
5. The Customer Experience Imperative
Every winning strategy at NRF 2025 centered on customer experience. Whether through:
- AI-powered personalization
- Seamless omnichannel integration
- Sustainability initiatives
- Community building
The common thread was reducing friction and increasing connection.
Levi Strauss showcased their “Back Pocket” technology that uses customer data (size, style preferences) with real-time inventory to create effortless in-store experiences.
Starbucks focused on making technology invisible — it works, but customers don’t have to think about it.
What this means for jewelry retail:
Every touchpoint should feel effortless and personal. From first inquiry to final purchase to anniversary follow-up, the experience should feel like a relationship, not a transaction.
Video commerce excels here because it combines the convenience of digital with the intimacy of personal service.
The Video Commerce Opportunity
While NRF 2025 didn’t have dedicated sessions on video commerce, the theme was embedded throughout:
- Personalization at scale — video consultations enable one-to-one experiences that don’t require physical presence
- Extended reach — your expertise can serve customers anywhere
- Reduced returns — customers who see products in real-time, with expert guidance, buy with confidence
- Emotional connection — face-to-face interaction builds trust that text and images cannot
The data supports this shift:
| Metric | Traditional E-commerce | Live Video Commerce |
|---|---|---|
| Conversion Rate | 2-3% | Up to 30% |
| Return Rate | 15-20% | Significantly lower |
| Customer Confidence | Moderate | High |
| Average Order Value | Standard | Higher |
For luxury and jewelry retail, where trust and expertise drive purchasing decisions, video commerce addresses the fundamental challenge: how do you create high-touch experiences at digital scale?
Practical Takeaways for Jewelry Retailers
Based on NRF 2025’s themes, here’s what forward-thinking jewelers should prioritize:
Immediate Actions
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Audit your customer journey — Where is friction? Where do customers drop off? Where could personal connection be stronger?
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Evaluate your video capability — Can you offer professional consultations today? If not, what’s needed?
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Train your team — The best technology fails without people who can use it effectively.
Medium-Term Priorities
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Integrate your systems — CRM, inventory, e-commerce, and video should work together seamlessly.
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Build your data foundation — Clean, organized customer data enables personalization.
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Create consistent processes — Document how consultations work, how follow-ups happen, how community is built.
Long-Term Vision
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Think experience-first — Technology serves experience, not the other way around.
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Invest in community — Both internal (team) and external (customers).
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Embrace “blended retail” — Physical and digital aren’t competing. They’re converging.
Looking Ahead: NRF 2026
NRF 2026 is scheduled for January 11-13, 2026, at the Javits Center. Early announcements include:
- Dedicated AI Stage — Practical sessions on implementation
- Ryan Reynolds keynote — On building authentic brands
- Sundar Pichai (Google) keynote — On AI as infrastructure
- NRF Rev — New sub-event focused on returns and sustainability
The themes established at NRF 2025 — technology as enabler, human connection as differentiator, experience as strategy — will only intensify.
The Immerss Perspective
At Immerss, we’ve built our live video commerce platform on the same principles that dominated NRF 2025:
Technology should enable human connection, not replace it.
Our AI-powered video consultations help jewelry retailers:
- Reach customers beyond geographic limitations
- Deliver the personal expertise that drives high-value purchases
- Build relationships that create lifetime value
- Reduce the friction that causes abandoned carts and returns
The future of luxury retail isn’t about choosing between technology and humanity. It’s about using technology to become more human.
NRF 2025 confirmed what we’ve believed all along: the brands that win are the ones that combine digital reach with personal touch.
Ready to Transform Your Customer Experience?
The insights from NRF 2025 are clear: luxury retail success requires balancing technology with humanity, efficiency with experience, digital scale with personal connection.
Video commerce is the bridge.
