Top Retail Digital Signage Trends in 2024

Retail is among the most dynamic industries out there. That's why it's no wonder that retail digital signage is where the most innovation is at too. In 2024 it is as evident as ever. In this article, we will take a closer look at the top retail digital signage trends. Of course, AI is there and so are the pop-ups through some better personalization. Here are retail digital signage trends for 2024.

Thinking outside of the mall

In August 2023, CNN published an article with a screaming headline. It said, “The US mall is not dying.” The research inside the piece suggested that the top malls are doing fine and not going anywhere. Basically, the consensus of the experts was that the industry is evolving and tech is helping with that. 

However, not all is clear skies and rainbows when it comes to the mall experience. Several big retailers have announced the launch of off-mall stores in 2023. Among them are Macy’s, Bath & Body Works, Journeys, and Foot Locker.

While malls are definitely here to stay, it’s interesting to see the brands moving in the outside direction. The reason for that is having more flexibility and cutting the costs of rent.

Also, running an independent store allows companies to use digital signage technology to create whatever marketing they see fit and be in full control.

Diversification of marketing content

Long gone are the days when retail was purely physical. Today it’s an amalgam of two worlds. And those retailers that master the digital part are big winners. 2023 showed us that the brands are not shy of realizing creative projects that involve the digital side.

The diversification of marketing content is among the top retail signage trends.

One of the best examples of this is the pop-up. While such a type of retail experience has been around for seemingly forever, it’s in the post-COVID world that it truly shined. 

And of the main reasons for its success lies in combining novelty, personalization, and tech to create a one-of-a-kind customer experience. 

Glossier has used screens and ASMR to give visitors an alternative reality feeling in their London pop-up. Max Mara invited everyone to a “fluffy residence” with displays serving as the portals for a better immersion. Louis Vuitton creates a pop-up cafe + brand store in Hong Kong with big video walls showing the latest collection.

This retail digital signage trend is gaining traction and in 2024 we’re expecting more exciting projects to come.  

Focusing on sustainability… and Gen Z shoppers

How sustainability and Gen Z shoppers are connected. Well, there’s a direct link. According to CNN, “56% of Gen Z shoppers are willing to spend more to purchase sustainably sourced products.”

It’s also about how they view their future. “41% of young people aged 16-25 said they were hesitant to have children due to climate change, and 71% said their future is frightening,” according to Ulster University data.  

Then, per Forbes “75% of Gen Z respondents said they wanted to see that brands were ensuring employee and consumer safety.”

Also, it’s about the authenticity. “If [brands] are not authentic, Gen Z will be the first to raise a red flag,” says Forbes survey. 

In other words, Gen Z puts sustainability first. And retailers are adapting. From sustainability campaigns to GenAI deployment for good, brands are trying hard to appeal to this generation (let’s not forget about the socially-conscious millennials too).

According to IDC, “by 2028, 55% of grocery supply chains will deploy intelligent IoT to track the condition of perishables, reducing food waste by 25% and inventories by 15% and improving quality by 40%.” 

Why it’s among the retail signage trends? Well, it’s because the screens are actively used by the brands as a communication tool to highlight their commitment to sustainability and serve as an ultimate feedback-gathering tool to directly interact with the consumer. 

Using AI for more personalization in-store

In 2023 AI has finally gone mainstream with companies pumping billions of dollars into technology-powered tools that ranged from online (content generators, conversational chatbots, etc.) to offline. 

But while online AI tools are easy to visualize, what about the AI in the real world, how does it work? Again, digital signage is the answer.

Screens serve as the “body” for artificial intelligence and it seems that in 2024 retailers will be happy to implement such solutions to make shopping better and more personalized. 

One of the best examples of this is Proto’s RetailSage product which the company unveiled at CES 2024. It combines the power of AI with the technical capabilities of the screen making it an ideal solution for elevated shopping in an offline retail environment.

While it seems premature to talk about the full-scale offline AI adoption in retail, the digital signage that is being already used (like self-service cash desks, for example) can be waiting for an artificial intelligence upgrade.

Here are our previous Top Retail Digital Signage Trends 2023

Poor, poor retail industry. It has gone through a lot during the last few years. The pandemic has left the most visible scar on its surface. But we’re here to talk about the industry in correlation with the screens. We’re here to talk about retail digital signage trends. And in this domain, all is predicted to be quite good. As the screen technology is adaptable and flexible, retail is safe in its hands. 

Let’s review the top digital signage solutions for retail in 2023 and see where we stand and what’s coming next.

Going deeper online (with the help of the screens offline)

With the break of the COVID pandemic, the change to the online medium was inevitable. 2023 will see retail pivoting in this direction even further. But it’s not that the offline spaces will cease to exist. The leading companies will look for opportunities to tie the two worlds together. And retail digital signage software will always be the answer.

How will it be reflected in the day-to-day operations? We expect more and more screens of all kinds and sizes to pop up in the physical stores. Bridging the gap between the offline and digital has long been one of the top retail digital signage trends.

If in 2020 the industry went through the shock waves, in 2021 it was trying to survive, in 2022 the retailers started to actually implement wide-scaled solutions, and 2023 will see these solutions become the new normal.

The move to digital is inevitable and the quicker the companies worldwide understand the real value of it, the better for the industry as a whole. The future is dictated by the hybrid shopping model when a retail store exists in the physical and digital dimensions and does both masterfully. 

Implementation of digital signage solutions for retail will only be a win for retailers. On one hand, the display as a medium is well-known and familiar to the majority of shoppers. On the other, the possibilities of digital signage software today are immense and very adaptable.

AR, VR, and (maybe) metaverse

We’ve written about this in our top digital signage trends article. Metaverse is looming over us. And retail is one of the main industries that can benefit from its full development. But whether or not it will happen is a big question. So far, the analysts don’t see it coming on a mainstream scale so it’s too early to talk about the real impact of the metaverse in 2023. 

What has come to the mainstream, though, are metaverse’s little helpers such as AR and VR of retail spaces. Every single element is quite different in terms of how they operate. But they are all connected by the yearning to the digital world and minimizing the physical, or real-world factors.

“But why it’s in the retail digital signage trends?” you may righteously ask. It’s because AR and VR need the gates of the entrance. Real stores are not going anywhere and people still go shopping offline as eagerly as they do offline. That’s why in order to enhance their experience, the retailers are looking for new, exciting, and fresh ways to interact. 

AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) are the fruits of one tree and that tree is the metaverse. Metaverse as an inter-connected global online network doesn’t exist yet on a global commercial scale but AR and VR do. When you have a shopping mall, a store, or a brick-and-mortar you need to have a tool that enables AR and VR. The screen is that tool and that’s why deploying larger-scale screen solutions is among the top retail digital signage trends.

Malls are in trouble but the screens are the saving grace

Running a mall in 2023 is quite a headache. It’s expensive, it’s complicated, and it’s not as profitable as in 2019. That’s why a complete digital redo is looming over these large retail structures. It’s either change or a closure (aka painful death). 

With the availability of awesome solutions at hand, it’s hard to imagine the full downfall of shopping malls. The hand of the market influenced by the pandemic and driven by the global crisis points to more of a digital theme park approach for a regular shopping experience. People still want to go to their favorite shopping centers. It’s just their habits change. 

The retail digital signage trend is closely related to the previous one. Shopping malls will become more digitized in 2023. They are set to add new exciting features like augmented reality screens, big 3D billboards, and more experiential content.

Robotized solutions and AI instead of humans

Although we’re not quite on the level of apocalyptic “I, Robot” reality, the robots are definitely starting to feel themselves at home in retail in 2023. And that’s a good thing (if they don’t get too smart and destroy our planet). 

That fact brings us to a new cool side of digital signage and that is the screen-powered robots. Supermarkets use them, clothing stores use them, and everyone in retail can use them. For wayfinding, impressing, interacting, and social media promotion. It’s already here and in 2023 the robot trend will only become bigger and bolder. 

The development of AI, on the other hand, will untie the retail’s employment contracts-limited hands and bring more cost-efficient and interesting opportunities.