Each year, the National Retail Federation (NRF) Big Show brings the retail community together for a pulse check on the industry and a glimpse of what’s coming. However, this year, The NRF is encouraging you to do more than educate yourself to keep up with the evolving industry. It’s encouraging you to be an agent of change.
Merchants and the solutions providers that support them will have the opportunity to immerse themselves at the NRF Big Show in all aspects of retail and commerce for inspiration on how to become game-changers. But one of the most pivotal in 2025 is payments innovation. Payments have become more than transactional for retailers. Payment technologies have become enablers of the experiences that consumers want, a tool for fostering their loyalty, and a part of business growth strategies.
Accenture reports that consumers routinely use multiple payment methods, including digital wallets, which 56% percent of consumers worldwide now use at least five times per month. The question is how to optimize customer experiences with payment choice and convenience that meet consumer expectations. You can find the answer at the NRF Big Show.
Payment Innovation on Display at the NRF Big Show
One technology retailers need to explore on the NRF Big Show expo floor is SoftPOS. The Payment Card Industry (PCI) MPoC standard for mobile payments on consumer off-the-shelf devices enables secure contactless payment transactions on the handheld computers, tablets, and smartphones you are using now. With SoftPOS, no additional payment device is required.
This technology has reached the tipping point. Grand View Research predicts the U.S. market, valued at $255.4 million in 2022 will grow at a 20.9% CAGR through 2030, which would increase the value to more than $1.1 billion. Growth drivers include cost savings for retailers, who don’t have to invest in additional payment terminals and ongoing maintenance. SoftPOS also gives merchants of all sizes, from enterprises to home-based businesses, a way to accept contactless payments anywhere inside or outside the store. Delivery services, home repair providers, and concession carts can give their customers the ease of contactless payments. However, it also gives retailers a way to reimagine the checkout. They can accept payments with only a customer-facing display, to create a sleek point of sale system. Furthermore, if traditional payment devices go down, merchants can use their mobile devices equipped with a SoftPOS app from an app store to accept payments until their terminals are back online.
Explore the Future of Payments Data
Another topic to explore is how to benefit from linking payment data to customer activity. Solutions are evolving to allow retailers to tokenize payment data so that the next time customers come into the store, the retailer can recognize them without requiring a loyalty card or phone number. Then, the retailer can personalize their experiences, perhaps by offering a discount on items the customer likes or cross-selling with offers for products that complement the purchases the customer made in the past. The solution can print offers on receipts or display offers at the fuel pump to encourage C-store customers to come into the store.
Payment technology providers can add services to collect data and become the database of record for retailers. The insights from that data can enable hyper-personalized service in-store, more effective upselling and cross-selling, and experiences that build stronger customer relationships.
Plan Your NRF Big Show Experience
To leave the NRF Big Show with all the information you need to return to your organization as a game-changer, you need a plan. Know the expo floor map before you arrive, and plan your day so you can talk to the vendors you need to see without lengthy walks back and forth across the Javits Center. If you need some advice on which vendors are showing solutions that will deliver value to your organization, take a look at Ingenico’s partner map. When you’re walking the floor, you can also look for exhibitors with “AXIUM-certified” on their placards, to let you know their solutions seamlessly integrate with Ingenico payment technology. It’s also a smart idea to take note of booths that have chairs or couches so you can time those meetings when you need to get off your feet. Plan a stop by the Innovation Lab to see cutting-edge retail solutions. And remember to save time in your schedule for unique opportunities, like hearing Flo Rida’s concert or hearing Tracee Ellis Ross share how she created PATTERN Beauty.
There’s a lot to see and learn, so use your time wisely. To help you stay on schedule, you can reserve a time to meet with us here.
We’re looking forward to seeing you and, more importantly, seeing how you affect change to benefit your organization.
