Welcome to this week’s edition of the RETHINK Retail newsletter!
RETHINK Retail
RETHINK Retail explores the evolution of retail in today’s connected world. Retail: podcasts, insights, research.
October 18th, 2025
Catch up on everything from engaging webinars to updates on must-attend retail events in our latest edition.
IN FOCUS — TOPS OF THE WEEK
Redefining Retail in the Age of Omnichannel Commerce
🌐 Elevate Your Omnichannel Game
Our Winning Omnichannel Report uncovers strategies to integrate operations, fulfillment, and customer touchpoints, delivering exceptional experiences with agility.
Retail Emergency Preparedness: Building Resilience Before the Storm
Weathering the Storm: Protect Your Retail Brand
Wildfires, hurricanes, and outages are testing retailers’ resilience. Top experts Andrew Smith and Jeff Kenniston share strategies to strengthen operations, safeguard brand trust, and build true resilience before the next crisis.
Why Self-Service Excellence Will Define Grocery’s Next Leaders
🚀 Self-Checkout: The Secret to Grocery Success
Leading grocers are leveraging self-checkout and digital kiosks to deliver faster, more accurate, and frictionless shopping experiences.
Discover in our Self-Service Excellence Brief how top retailers are turning every checkout into a competitive advantage.
Top Grocery Innovators 2025
🌟 Grocery Innovation Deserves the Spotlight 🌟
Nominations are now open for RETHINK Retail’s Top Grocery Innovators 2025, celebrating the leaders transforming how we shop, eat, and experience grocery.
AI Without Slowdowns: How to Safeguard Speed, Stability, and Sales
Many brands are racing to add AI to their eCommerce stack, but not all innovation helps the shopper.
Discover how to identify when AI scripts, APIs, or automation may be slowing your site and impacting revenue.
TRENDS IN MOTION — INDUSTRY INSIGHTS REPORTS
The Field Guide to Modern C-Stores
🚀 The future of convenience is here.
Our new C-Store Transformation Field Guide explores how digital innovation, automation, and changing shopper habits are redefining what “convenience” really means.
Tariffs and Trade Disruption: How Retailers Can Build Adaptive Supply Chains
⚡ Is Your Supply Chain Ready for Tariffs?
Rising costs and trade disruptions are challenging retailers to rethink sourcing, pricing, and fulfillment. Our Retail Cloud Alliance Report shows how industry leaders are creating adaptive, resilient supply chains.
RETHINK Retail’s 2025 AI in Retail Report: Artificial Intelligence in the Everyday Store
🤖 Future-Proof Your Store with AI
AI is reshaping retail, smarter inventory, faster checkout, and seamless customer experiences. Our AI in Retail Report delivers the insights you need to stay ahead of the competition.
RETHINK Retail’s 2025 Grocery Trends Report: Realizing Value with Unified Commerce
📊 2025 Grocery Trends: See the Buzz
With insights from VTEX, T-Mobile for Business, VusionGroup, and more, this report is a must-read for anyone shaping the future of grocery.
IDEAS IN ACTION — WEBINAR SERIES
Human-Centric Design: Keys To Associate Success & Customer Connections
🚀 Unlock Human-Centric Design in Retail
Join Martin Urrutia, Lesley Hawkins, Lacey Picazo, and Lauren Cevallos for a live webinar on how human-first design drives performance and customer success.
📅 October 22 | 1:00 PM ET
Put AI to Work for Retail & Hospitality Virtual Summit
🤖 See AI in Action Across Retail & Hospitality
AI is changing the game, but what does it really look like?
Hear from a leading beauty retailer, a quick-serve restaurant chain, and other experts on how AI Agents are transforming customer experiences across retail, restaurants, grocery, and hospitality.
📅 October 23 | 12:00 PM ET
Better Together: Leveraging Best In Class POS & OMS For Speed and Agility
🏬 Modernizing 100+ Stores, Quickly & Smartly
COO Craig Hewitt shares The Paper Store’s modernization strategy, with insights from Jack Stratten, Joe Corbin, and Ram Venkataraman. A must-watch session for brick-and-mortar leaders looking to innovate and scale.
📅 November 12 | 11:00 AM ET
Innovation That’s Working in Grocery Today
🛒 Grocery Innovation That Delivers
See how today’s grocers are modernizing operations and delighting shoppers, without major overhauls. Hosted by RETHINK Retail, Diebold Nixdorf & Loblaws, this session is packed with actionable insights.
📅 November 13 | 10:30 AM ET
Avoid Retail Tech Mistakes: Choosing the Right Barcode & RFID Solutions
🔍 Are Your Barcode & RFID Systems Slowing You Down?
Retail experts from TRG Solutions, Teamwork Commerce, TSC Auto ID Technology, and Bluebird, Inc. reveal the tech mistakes retailers should avoid, and how to optimize your operations.
📅 November 18 | 12:00 PM ET
MARK YOUR CALENDAR — FEATURED EVENTS
AI in Retail Virtual Summit 2025
🤖 AI Meets Humanity in Retail
Discover how top retailers are blending AI with the human touch to enhance customer experiences.
Join industry leaders at the AiR Virtual Summit on November 6, 2025, from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM ET. Gain insights from brands already leveraging AI to empower their teams and delight shoppers.
VOICES WORTH HEARING — NEW PODCAST EPISODES
Next-Gen POS for Fiscal Innovation
Fiscal Compliance Isn’t a Hurdle. It’s Your Launchpad for Innovation
Compliance is complex, but ignoring it is riskier. In the latest episode of Next‑Gen POS, host Scott Wueschinski talks with Darko Pavic, CEO of Fiscal Solutions, about how fiscalization can reshape modern retail.
VTEX Live | Start Before You’re Ready: Lessons from Netflix’s Co-founder
🎬 Launch Faster, Scale Smarter with Marc Randolph
Netflix Co-Founder and first CEO Marc Randolph joins VTEX CRO Santiago Naranjo on VTEX Live to share a no-fluff playbook for rapid launching and smart scaling.
RETHINK Retail Podcast: How to Prepare for Disruptions
⚡ Preparing for Retail Disruptions
Retailers are facing increasing risks from extreme weather and unexpected disruptions. Join Top Retail Expert Andrew Smith with guest Jeff Kenniston, Senior Manager at T-Mobile for Business, to learn strategies that strengthen operations and protect your business.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK — VIDEOS YOU CAN'T MISS
The Future of Retail
From emerging retail challenges to the transformative role of AI.
Retail Agility with Microsoft for Startups
Retailers thrive when they can turn shopper insights into fast action
Kroger’s Vision for the Future
Christine Foster revealed how Kroger is driving innovation in retail media.
Kickoff Party at Groceryshop 2025
The event marked the beginning of an exciting week of insights.
Transform Retail with Connected Stores
How the Connected Store is no longer a concept, it’s delivering measurable results