2025’s Must-Attend Retail Events

In the world of retail and e-commerce, continuous flux has become the name of the game. One needs to keep pace with the trends of the industry and technology. No other events offer better opportunities for networking with peers, learning from innovators, and exploring solutions to optimize operations and elevate the customer experience than merchant-focused events.

Payments Re-Tailored

From all forms of commerce, the ecosystem of payments is progressing. Every evolution of consumers' preferences and technology requires businesses to be continually adapting to new forms of payment and technologies.

The open payments ecosystem offers a modern API to easily onboard multiple providers for merchants to go international and keep the flexibility needed in response to changing market conditions. A stark shift from the traditional closed systems that are costly to integrate, rigid, and opaque.

Central to these developments are the innovative retail conferences of 2025– crucial for industry leaders, merchants, and innovators where trends get analyzed, views are changed, and the future shape for e-commerce becomes more defined. These conferences focus on the open and flexible payment systems as movers toward a new future of commerce. Here is Spreedly's curated list of the most influential and visionary retail conferences.

January to March

NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show
January 12-14, New York City, NY
The National Retail Federation's Big Show is the cornerstone events for merchants from all over the world. This three-day expo brings together retail's top leaders, cutting-edge solutions, and in-depth education tracks. 

E-commerce Berlin Expo
February 13, Berlin, Germany
Probably among the largest e-commerce-focused events in Europe, a mix of keynote speeches and discussion sessions by panels and showcases put forth by exhibitors is promising at E-commerce Expo focused essentially on technology, cross-border commerce, and digital change being necessary for merchants scaling their e-tailer operations.

eTail West
February 26-29, Palm Springs, CA
eTail West is one of the leading conferences in North America focused on e-commerce and omnichannel retail. It puts key attention on a mix of workshops and networking. It is critical to any merchant looking to acquire insights that drive customer acquisition and retention through an online marketplace.

March to June

Shoptalk US
March 23-26, Las Vegas, NV
Shoptalk is the must-attend event on this entire list. It is a great conference for any merchant who wants to learn about the future of retail. Attendees and speakers present a plethora of innovations along the whole commerce ecosystem, from supply chain development all the way to enhancing customer experiences.

Seamless Middle East
May 1-2, Dubai, UAE
Focusing on the latest in payments, retail, and e-commerce innovation, with a strategic focus on emerging markets. Seamless is a great conference for merchants seeking insight into the expanding commerce landscape of the Middle East.

NRF Protect
June 10-12, Long Beach, CA
NRF Protect places a focuses on loss prevention, cybersecurity, and fraud management. This is an event that arms you with tools and strategies, thus ensuring your business is safe and compliant.

Retail Innovation Days
June 18-19, Chicago, IL
A smaller conference, Retail Innovation Days focuses on how to use technology for growth. From AI-powered customer insights to omnichannel strategies, merchants will walk away with actionable ideas to transform their businesses.

July to September

Subsummit
July 9-11, Dallas, TX
As subscription commerce continues to surge, Subsummit rises as the leading event for merchants of recurring revenue models. Learn how to increase subscriber engagement and decrease churn by leveraging new and emerging payment challenges.

eTail East
August 19-22, Boston, MA
eTail West is the West Coast version of the same omnichannel commerce and digital marketing innovations. Be prepared for a smorgasbord of practical insight that will benefit any merchant looking to hone their growth strategy.

PI Apparel NYC 2025
September 15-16, New York City, NY
PI Apparel focuses on the intersection of fashion and technology. From 3D design tools all the way to sustainable best practices and state-of-the-art solutions for the modern day fashion retailers.

Prosper Show
September 23-25, Las Vegas, NV
The Prosper Show unites the community of Amazon sellers on core issues of marketplace optimization, advanced inventory management, and scaling strategies. If you want to overcome the complexities associated with online marketplaces, then it is a must-attend event.

October to December

Shoptalk EU
October 7-9, Barcelona, Spain
European counterpart to Shoptalk US, this event caters to the unique challenges and opportunities within the European market. This is a great event for merchants looking to expand globally or understand regional customer behaviors.

Groceryshop
October 21-24, Las Vegas, NV
Retailers, consumer packaged goods companies, and technology providers all come together to explore the trends defining the future of grocery retail at Groceryshop. 

Retail Technology Show
November 12-13, London, UK
This is the showcase of the latest in retail tech, a place where merchants gather, being eager to future-proof their businesses. Practical demonstrations of AI-fueled analytics tools and immersive workshops on boosting in-store experience highlight the agenda.

World Retail Congress
November 18-20, Paris, France
The annual retail world event, where C-level executives from across the world, together with visionary leaders and pioneering companies, converse about the future of retail. Merchants will know how emerging trends, sustainable practices, and leadership are stacking up.

Discover Open Payments with Spreedly at Upcoming Events

Each of these events offers retailers a unique opportunity to sharpen their competitive edge. Whether scaling operations, enhancing customer experiences, or exploring open payment solutions, these conferences position your organization to be ahead of the curve.

Connect with Spreedly at one of these upcoming events or reach out to us right now! Let’s explore how an open payments platform equips your business for global scale, optimized payment strategies, and unparalleled delivery to your customers.

Together, we will shape the future of commerce.

Download the Payments Orchestration eBook Below