2025 challenged many of retail’s long-held assumptions. What looked like familiar patterns often turned out to be something different entirely, and in the process, a few key trends were either missed or misread by brands trying to make sense of shifting shopper behavior. Here are three trends from 2025 that were either overlooked or misunderstood, and why they will matter in the year ahead.

The news: Skylight is a new short-form video app like TikTok, but instead of using algorithms to decide what videos users see, it lets real people create and share their own video feeds, similar to Pinterest’s curation model. Built on Bluesky’s decentralized and open protocol, Skylight has clocked 240,000 downloads and 100,000 video uploads since April, per TechCrunch. Our take: Skylight’s reliance on creator-led feeds gives marketers a glimpse at what post-algorithm engagement could look like. But it remains to be seen if users take to an alternative way of consuming short-form video.

Disruption is imminent for programmatic. The market teeters on the brink of several seismic shifts around identity and audience data. And a landmark antitrust ruling could energize an already hot ad tech consolidation streak.

The programmatic strategy known as curation is gaining traction in the ad tech space. Curation is a message from supply-side platforms (SSPs) to demand-side platforms (DSPs) that they’re ignoring valuable inventory. SSPs are increasingly using elevated data to make curated inventory more accessible, and in turn heighten advertiser value, before DSPs have the opportunity to commoditize ad buys.

Shoppers want help: Too many choices online can overwhelm consumers and leave them frustrated by the effort required to make a purchase decision.

Adding to its suite of customization tools, the use of AI could help enhance subscriber interest amid price hikes and provide personalized music suggestions.

As AI has evolved over the past few years, Pinterest has leaned heavily into the tech to create a more curated, relevant user experience.

Pinterest’s search enhancements continue with body type filter: The platform’s AI-enabled upgrades are boosting engagement and shopping behavior.

From Goop and the New York Times to TikTok creators, everyone is putting out a gift guide this year, trying to get a piece of this year’s holiday sales pie, which we forecast to reach $1.31 trillion in the US.