What is the single most exciting technology trend in retail right now that you believe vendors must double down on to stay relevant for the rest of 2025?

The most exciting opportunities in loyalty today revolve around in-person identification. We’re seeing rapid progress with digital wallets that store loyalty credentials for seamless recognition and payments at checkout. At the same time, biometric authentication is on the horizon, with facial or hand scans enabling instant member identification. Picture a self-checkout process where a simple scan unlocks personalized promotions, loyalty benefits, and payment—all in one step. This level of frictionless engagement could redefine retail loyalty experiences.

With retailers increasingly relying on AI for decision-making, where do you see the biggest risks in over-automation, and how should the industry recalibrate?

How are you helping clients unlock the full value of their customer data—beyond campaign targeting—to drive real-time product, pricing, and fulfillment decisions?

What’s the next frontier of personalization—and how can vendors design ethically grounded, AI-powered engines that scale without overstepping consumer privacy?

The biggest risk is over-engineering segmentation and offers. Hyper-targeting can overwhelm both the consumer, who faces too many micro-offers, and the marketing teams, who struggle to manage that level of complexity. It also creates reporting and insight challenges that can quickly spiral. The industry should focus on clarity and impact—simplifying personalization strategies so they enhance rather than clutter the customer experience.

Our platform provides real-time reporting that gives users immediate visibility into the impact of their actions. Beyond the technology, every account is supported by dedicated customer success managers and strategists who transform raw data into actionable insights. This hands-on partnership helps brands uncover opportunities they might miss on their own and continuously evolve their loyalty programs for stronger performance.

I see the next big leap in personalization happening at the intersection of AI and human-like interaction. Smarter chatbots and AI-driven personal shopping assistants will guide members in real time, while loyalty data will underpin more sophisticated behavioral segmentations. As these systems mature, AI won’t just execute campaigns—it will recommend audiences, offers, and strategies within the platform. To keep this progress grounded, vendors must ensure transparency and consumer choice remain at the center, so personalization feels helpful, not invasive.