Top 10 Retail Digital Signage Trends to Watch in 2025
As the retail industry evolves, digital signage continues to play a pivotal role in enhancing customer experiences, driving sales, and creating personalized interactions. With brick-and-mortar stores thriving this technology offers tremendous opportunities for businesses to communicate with their audience effectively.
With 2025 on the horizon, understanding emerging digital signage trends is critical for staying ahead of the competition. Whether you manage a boutique store or oversee marketing for a retail giant, here’s your guide to the top 10 retail digital signage trends shaping the future.
1. Retail Media Networks (RMNs)
Retail Media Networks are reshaping how brands engage with shoppers. With leaders like Walmart, Amazon, and Target capitalizing on their digital advertising ecosystems, the retail media ad spend is projected to hit $67.28 billion in 2025. Tesco even predicts RMNs could surpass TV advertising by year-end.
Digital signage plays a vital role in this growth, offering brands access to high-impact, targeted displays within stores. The use of cloud-based Content Management Systems (CMS) enables retailers to manage and scale their networks with ease. Advanced features, like remote display management, simplify content updates across locations, ensuring seamless execution of advertising strategies.
2. Retail Automation
Automation is revolutionizing retail, from checkout systems to inventory management. Digital signage is no exception. By automating content updates based on real-time data—like weather, promotions, or inventory levels—retailers can meet customer expectations with timely, relevant messaging.
With the right digital signage CMS, automating these updates is effortless. Widgets can pull live data to adjust content in real-time, freeing up staff for other priorities and delivering an enhanced shopping experience.
3. Smart Shelves
Smart shelves are becoming a staple in modern retail, using sensors to track product availability and display dynamic, relevant content. This integration bridges the gap between inventory management and customer engagement, helping shoppers make informed decisions.
By pairing smart shelves with digital signage solutions, retailers can create a real-time connection between what's on the shelf and the information displayed, driving more effective sales. With the global smart shelves market expected to reach $3.3 billion by 2025, this is a trend no retailer can afford to ignore.
4. Interactive Experiences
Interactive retail experiences remain a top priority, as highlighted at the Interactive Customer Experience (ICX) Summit this year. From touch-enabled kiosks to augmented reality (AR) displays, interactive signage provides personalized, immersive environments that captivate customers.
Digital signage platforms with integration capabilities can connect to third-party devices like cameras and RFID scanners, enabling retailers to create multi-sensory experiences. These tools allow brands to push creative boundaries and deliver unforgettable shopping journeys.
5. Programmatic Digital Out-Of-Home (pDOOH)
Programmatic Digital Out-Of-Home (pDOOH) advertising is poised for significant growth in 2025. By leveraging data-driven automation, advertisers can serve ads based on location, weather, and audience behavior, ensuring messages are always relevant.
For example, sunglasses ads can appear during sunny weather, while winter accessories take center stage in colder conditions. Platforms like onQ CMS support integrations with pDOOH systems, providing advertisers with the tools to reach millions and maximize ROI.
6. Green Signage
Sustainability is no longer optional—it's essential. Retailers are embracing green signage to reduce their carbon footprint. Digital signage already offers an eco-friendly alternative to print, but manufacturers are pushing boundaries further. Sony BRAVIA Professional Displays, for instance, utilize recycled materials like SORPLAS to meet environmental commitments.
Expect retailers to prioritize energy-efficient and recyclable displays as part of their eco-initiatives in 2025.
7. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI is transforming digital signage into a powerful tool for personalization. By analyzing customer behavior in real-time, AI can deliver tailored content and optimize ad placements with unmatched precision.
Cloud-based digital signage solutions like onQ CMS enable retailers to integrate AI-driven analytics, providing actionable insights for smarter content strategies. From personalized offers to automated display management, the possibilities are limitless.
8. Voice-Activated Displays
As voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant become staples in homes, voice-activated displays are making their way into retail. These displays allow customers to search for products, check availability, or even get personalized recommendations by simply speaking.
This trend offers a hands-free, accessible option for shoppers while reducing reliance on staff for customer assistance. Digital signage solutions integrated with voice technology are expected to become more prevalent in 2025, enhancing the interactive retail experience.
9. Gamified Experiences
Gamification is a powerful tool for increasing customer engagement, and digital signage provides the perfect platform for it. Retailers are using interactive screens to host contests, quizzes, and rewards programs that incentivize participation.
For example, shoppers might play a touch-based game on an in-store screen to unlock exclusive discounts. By making shopping fun and engaging, retailers can increase dwell time and foster loyalty. With the right CMS, such as onQ CMS, creating and managing gamified experiences is simple and effective.
10. Hyper-Localized Content
With the increasing availability of data, retailers are focusing on delivering hyper-localized content tailored to specific regions, neighborhoods, or even store locations. Digital signage enables businesses to display regionally relevant promotions, events, or product recommendations.
Using cloud-based CMS platforms, such as onQ CMS, retailers can dynamically update content for different locations in real time, ensuring that messaging resonates with local shoppers. This approach not only enhances customer engagement but also drives higher conversion rates.
Toward a New Retail Landscape
The trends highlighted above reveal the transformative potential of digital signage in 2025. From delivering personalized experiences to driving sustainability, these advancements promise to redefine retail spaces.
Looking to stay ahead in retail digital signage? Partner with onQ Digital for cutting-edge CMS solutions that integrate seamlessly with your technology stack, helping you maximize your digital signage strategy and elevate customer engagement.
Sources
- Sony, AV Procurement: The Sony Retail Audit, 2024.
- eMarketer, Retail Media Ad Spending Forecast H1, 2024.
- eMarketer, Programmatic Digital Out-Of-Home (DOOH) Ad Spend Will Cross $1 Billion in 2025, 2023.
- McKinsey, Automation in Retail: An Executive Overview for Getting Ready, 2019.
- PR Newswire, Global Smart Shelves Market Worth USD 3.3 Billion by 2025, 2023.
