Shoptalk Takeaway: The Future of Retail Is More Human

By Aaron LoblinerSVP, RSM& Amy UphuesSVP, RSM& Christina HartmanSVP, RSM&
‍4 min read

What if the biggest trend in retail isn't technology, platform or emerging consumer behavior? What if it's simply this: people want something to do.

That was the clearest take away from Shoptalk, where conversations around technology, retail media, consumer behavior and the future of commerce kept circling back to something much more human. People want to participate. They want to connect. They want to discover. They want to have fun.

And in a world increasingly designed to keep us behind a screen, the experiences that get people into the real world may be the ones that matter most. Less scrolling. More doing.

For Christina Hartman, the opportunity for brands was clear: consumers are moving from passive attention toward active participation.

“People want to do something, not just look at something. Less passive scrolling. More making, trying, going, buying, connecting.”

That creates a natural opportunity for experiential marketing, but Christina believes the bar is higher than simply creating something visually impressive.

“Cool for the sake of cool is not enough.”

Experiences need to give people a reason to participate, something to try, make, personalize, learn or take with them. She also saw the power of bringing digital and physical together.

“Digital creates awareness and inspiration. Physical drives trial, engagement and purchase.”

For RSM&, that intersection is particularly compelling. Digital can put a brand in front of the right consumer, while experiential gives that consumer a reason to stop, engage and act.  

For Amy Uphues, the biggest takeaway happened away from the presentations.

“The most powerful thing I experienced at Shoptalk wasn't on a slide. It was in the room.”

In a world of emails, Slack messages, notifications and back-to-back video calls, Amy saw Shoptalk's “Retail Unplugged” theme come to life.

“The trade conference has become something rare: a place to step away and actually focus. People were interacting, learning, networking and finally sitting down with partners they may not have time to see during a typical workday.”

For Amy, that is exactly why real-world experiences continue to matter.

“When you give people a moment outside their multitasking, always-on mission, they lean in. They engage and remember.”

Shoptalk became a case study in the power of experience: the value wasn’t just in what attendees heard, but in who they met and what they experienced together. For Aaron Lobliner, Shoptalk’s strong B2B focus reinforced another important truth.

“At the end of the day people are people. Whether the audience is a consumer, business decision-maker or employee, the challenge is remarkably similar: capture attention, create engagement and motivate action.”

And Aaron saw another ingredient marketers sometimes overlook,

“Now, you may want to sit down for this one, but people like to have fun!”

Across lunches, networking sessions and conversations, he noticed how often the most memorable moments were simply the enjoyable ones. That lesson extends directly to the experiences brands create.

“Give someone a reason, maybe even an excuse to have a good time. Have a laugh, have some fun, win something perhaps and leave that conversation, that event, even that store with a smile.”

Because fun isn't frivolous. It's memorable. Taken together, the three perspectives point to a larger shift in the way brands should think about experience. Attention is no longer the finish line. Action is.

Perhaps that's the clearest takeaway from Shoptalk. The future of retail isn't about choosing between technology and human connection; it's about using technology to create more opportunities for it.

At RSM&, we believe the best experiences aren't the ones people simply see, they're the ones people step into participate in, talk about… and remember.