Understanding the New Consumer: Why Technology Matters More Than Ever

By Jorge Garrido, Sales Regional Director LATAM

As we progress through 2025, the consumer landscape has grown increasingly complex, unpredictable, and shaped by behaviors rooted in the COVID-19 era. McKinsey’s State of the Consumer 2025 analysis identifies five enduring behavioral forces redefining spending habits, with one clear takeaway: consumer demand for digital, personalized, and seamless experiences has never been higher—creating a critical opportunity for AI-powered technologies.

While consumers spend more time alone and online (nearly 90% of their free time on solo activities), relying heavily on e-commerce and digital platforms, brands must now differentiate how these digital behaviors influence physical retail. At the point of sale (POS), shelf intelligence technology bridges this gap by analyzing product performance and real-time consumer behavior to deliver contextually relevant insights and hyper-targeted recommendations.

Consumer decision-making has also grown more nuanced, with shoppers trading down in some categories while splurging in others—often prioritizing convenience and emotional gratification. This seemingly contradictory behavior demands technology capable of detecting subtle, real-time signals. AI-driven image recognition solutions in retail environments can uncover these shifting preferences, enabling brands to adapt dynamically.

From identifying Gen Z’s preference for trend-driven splurges to addressing the "local over global" movement, this technology provides scalable ways to localize assortments, optimize content, and refine cross-channel strategies.

In an era of information overload and shrinking attention spans, the ability to interpret and act on shelf-level data has become one of the most powerful tools for brands navigating disruption. Image recognition is no longer optional—it’s essential.

About the author

Jorge Garrido
Sales Regional Director LATAM

Jorge has extensive experience in retail and consumer goods, specializing in artificial intelligence. He excels in business planning and managing stakeholder relationships to drive growth across industries.