Winning Moves Retail Marketers Are Making in 2025

Kaylin Staub

Chief Marketing Officer at SupplyHouse

Retail marketing is entering a new era where value, trust, and operational excellence matter more than volume, visibility, and trend-chasing. As shopper expectations evolve and data privacy tightens, smart retail marketers are embracing personalization that actually serves, AI that enhances (not replaces) and brand positioning that aligns with customer values. The retailers who get this right won't just keep up—they'll lead.

Read the first blog of this series featuring Marti Walsh, VP of Customer Experience and Marketing at Kimberly-Clark Professional, here.

We spoke with Kaylin Staub, the Chief Marketing Officer at SupplyHouse, and a leader we believe to be leading the pack in these efforts. Check out her interview with us below:

Q1 | What are the three most important marketing trends that will carry on to 2026?

1. Privacy-first, value-driven personalization: As third-party cookies fade, brands will double down on first-party data and permission-based marketing. Personalization will shift from “creepy” to “contextually helpful,” with customers choosing what they share in exchange for clear value.

2. Operationalized AI in marketing workflows: AI will move beyond experimentation into day-to-day execution: copy generation, targeting, testing, forecasting, even dynamic pricing. The brands that use AI to improve speed and precision without sacrificing customer experience will win.

3. Purposeful brand positioning: Especially in B2B, brands will need to stand for something beyond price and availability. Customers want partners who share their values on sustainability, labor practices, and community support.

Q2 | How is your team rethinking personalization and data privacy in 2025?

We’re moving from volume to value in our data strategy. It’s less about collecting every possible data point and more about knowing what truly helps us serve the customer.

We’ve invested in stronger first-party data systems, preference centers, and clear opt-ins. That allows us to personalize campaigns, replenishment reminders, and promotions in ways that are genuinely useful—for example, reminding an HVAC contractor about seasonal maintenance parts they always need.

Q3 | Will AI make marketing feel more authentic, or will it take away the magic of human connection?

AI can make marketing more authentic if it’s used intentionally. For us, AI will eventually enable 24/7 service, faster responses, and better product discovery—all things that help our customers. But it’s not a replacement for human relationships.

The magic is in knowing when to automate and when to connect personally. Our best marketing moments happen when AI frees our team to be more present and helpful—like spending time solving a contractor’s sourcing problem instead of answering routine questions. AI is the tool; the human connection is still the differentiator.

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Key Takeaways for Retail Marketers:

• Personalization is becoming permission-based and genuinely helpful
  As third-party data declines, the focus is shifting to first-party systems and opt-in preferences that let customers share information on their terms in exchange for real value.

• AI is becoming part of the retail marketer’s daily toolkit
  From product recommendations to dynamic pricing and targeting, AI is moving beyond the lab and into operational use—helping teams move faster without sacrificing experience.

• Retail brands must take a stand
  In an increasingly values-driven marketplace, customers care how you source, staff, and support communities. Clear, purposeful brand positioning is now part of the purchase decision.

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Retail marketers are shaping change. The challenge now is to build marketing systems that are both high-tech and deeply human: useful, respectful, and ready to scale. The future of retail will be defined by who uses tools purposefully. 

Are you a retail marketer looking to stay ahead of the game? At Setup, we work with brands to bring them together with the best people and resources, setting them up for success no matter where they are on their journey. Visit here to learn more about how we’ve helped other retail marketers like you.