BLOG
On the Ground in Asia: Enactor at NRF & IGDS 2025
Two cities. One message: Retail is shifting – fast.
This summer, we went on a mission to see the future of retail up close. First stop: Singapore in early June for NRF Asia, followed by the IGDS World Department Store Summit in Seoul. Our whirlwind tour through Asia’s fastest-growing markets wasn’t just about networking; it was about connecting the dots, seeing first-hand how the industry’s biggest players are reinventing the game.
At NRF, the energy was bold. AI, sustainability, and omnichannel strategy dominated conversations, but underneath it all was a shared conviction: stores still matter. “We still believe in the role of stores,” said Ralph Lauren’s CEO – a sentiment echoed by nearly everyone we spoke to on the floor. Despite the digital boom, physical retail isn’t disappearing. It’s evolving. Fast.
Enter Enactor and Flex What’s Next. Our live demos, running on HP hardware, showcased real department store journeys – frictionless, composable, and flexible – built to keep pace with the APAC regions’ rapid urbanisation and logistical challenges.
Then came Seoul.
At IGDS, strategy took centre stage. Retail leaders from across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East gathered to tackle rising price sensitivity, the boom in online grocery, and the shift toward experience-first ‘retailtainment.’ But what stood out most was the renewed focus on people.
Post-pandemic, customers are walking into stores more informed, with higher expectations – and it’s putting pressure on frontline staff. There’s now demand for a new kind of super sales associate, one who delivers not just service, but experience, insight, and brand connection. “Customers-first is the number one operating principle,” said Chewy CEO Sumit Singh – a reminder that while tech scales, humans still convert.
Enactor’s own Julius Carrell took to the IGDS stage to present the World’s Best Sales Associate Award (bravo to Michelle Curtin, Head of Personal Shopping at Brown Thomas, Dublin), honouring those who continue to elevate the store experience – proof that innovation isn’t just digital. It’s personal.
From Singapore to Seoul, the message was the same: agility, composability, and human connection aren’t just trends – they’re the new standard.
Next stop: Mexico.
