European Trends Shaping the Future of Retail & Manufacturing: Insights from Shoptalk Europe and Viva Technology on the Evolution of Customer Experience Driven by AI and Data – Lazuli Executive Salon Vol. 8 Event Report

Changes in Consumer Behavior and the Design of 'Meaningful Choices'

First, Mr. Ban from Customer Time Co., Ltd. reported on Shoptalk Europe 2025.

Consumers are increasingly seeking not just simple functionality or price comparisons, but 'meaningful choices.' The following four new consumption patterns were presented.

• Spaving: A value orientation that sits between saving and spending. While becoming more price-sensitive, consumers do not hesitate to spend on 'satisfaction' and a 'sense of exclusivity.'

• Cultural Currency: Purchase motivation driven by resonance with a brand's values and cultural connection.

• Wellness Overwhelm: Choice fatigue and information fatigue caused by overpursuing health and self-improvement.

• Vibecession Spending: A behavior of wanting to spend money on things that 'lift one's mood' even in a frugal atmosphere.

In response, companies are beginning to place 'experience' and 'emotion' at the center of their value proposition and are starting to leverage data and AI. For example, LVMH introduced 'MAIA,' an emotionally driven generative AI platform that can be used company-wide, based on the idea that 'the winners are not the companies with the most data, but the companies that can make the best use of that data.' JD Sports, meanwhile, was described as frequently running quizzes and surveys to profile customers' lifestyles and rebuilding its loyalty program as a 'data infrastructure.'

Overall, the report said that competitive advantage lies not in 'function or price' but in whether a company can design 'meaning.' Data is being used as 'material for decoding complex contexts,' and AI as 'a tool for translating that meaning into experiences.'

A New Trend in AI and Data Transforming Customer Experience

Next, Mr. Ban from Customer Time Co., Ltd. and Hagiwara from Lazuli Inc. reported on Viva Technology 2025.

Mr. Ban emphasized the movement toward securing AI sovereignty in Europe, and introduced NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang's remark that 'Europe should become a creator of AI, not a consumer of AI' as a symbolic statement.

He also reported on L'Oréal as an example, noting that the company is concentrating technology in four areas: Longevity, Sustainability, Beauty Services, and Creativity & Culture. It was explained that the company is developing bio-skin that faithfully reproduces human skin and is promoting a new kind of beauty science that emphasizes 'prevention' through AI x biotech.

Hagiwara reported on the following three topics.

1. AI Agents Everywhere
He explained that the era in which AI agents are embedded in customer support and sales assistance has arrived. More companies are moving beyond PoCs and into production operations, and L'Oréal is delivering a customer experience that evolves from search to conversation to experiential purchasing through 'Beauty Genius' and AR try-ons. He also said that Salesforce, LinkedIn, and Sephora are achieving results in improving sales efficiency and customer satisfaction, while challenges around reliability and scalability are also becoming apparent. He concluded by saying that as the shift from SEO to GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) advances, optimizing information structure and meta tags is essential, and as AI spreads across all business functions, human involvement and governance will become key going forward.

2. Growing Product Data for Gen AI
In the era of generative AI, product information is shifting from being 'created' to being 'cultivated.' Data is evolving from 'automatic generation' to 'purpose-specific optimization,' and he explained that many approaches now identify whether a product description is intended for 'which audience' and 'which channel,' then optimize it accordingly.

3. Global Startup Scene
Viva Technology featured exhibitors from more than 120 countries, and visitors came from 271 countries. He reported that the largest number of exhibitors came from Saudi Arabia, and that Korea's strong presence was also particularly impressive.

CX Transformation Seen from a Global Perspective

In the second part, a discussion was held with decision-makers including CIOs and CDOs responsible for DX promotion and marketing at major domestic manufacturers and retailers.

It was pointed out that Europe's business culture emphasizes governance and frameworks, and is characterized by absorbing differences among countries through operations. The importance of clarifying the definition of advertising spending and the purpose of retail media, as well as establishing a global framework, was emphasized. By contrast, the United States was described as more top-down, with decisions from the upper management level tending to be implemented as-is.

In marketing strategy as well, Europe was introduced as prioritizing improvement in brand value, whereas the United States tends to pursue revenue generation through platformization. Participants noted that these regional differences exist not only between countries but also within Japan, and cannot be ignored when formulating strategy.

The Future of AI and Customer Experience

The discussion also covered how AI will transform customer experience. As purchasing behavior changes, two directions exist: 'efficient shopping' and 'creating new encounters,' and AI was said to need to play a role in both. In particular, it was organized that in future marketing, it will be important whether companies can become the object of affection for emotionally engaging shopping experiences and for strongly interested 'geek' consumers.

It was emphasized that AI is not merely a tool for improving efficiency, but can deeply understand customers' emotions, values, and behavior, and provide personalized experiences and conversations. There was also an opinion that by promoting internal data utilization and strengthening its foundation, companies can improve the overall quality of the customer experience.

Summary

At this Executive Salon, the changes in consumer behavior and the trends in AI and data utilization highlighted through Shoptalk Europe and Viva Technology were shared. Consumers are showing new tendencies such as saving, emotional satisfaction, connection with culture, and experiential consumption, while companies are shifting toward providing 'meaningful purchasing experiences.'

European companies were notable for promoting AI/data utilization platforms that all employees can use, along with personalization, and for advanced use of AI as a means of creating customer value. The importance of experience design was also discussed. These trends should offer major insights for Japanese manufacturers and retailers.

Through the development of real-time product data, Lazuli will enhance the role of product master data as a 'foundation for value creation' and support data-driven management.

About Lazuli Inc.:
Lazuli Inc. is a startup founded in July 2020 that provides the SaaS product 'Lazuli PDP,' which integrates and organizes corporate product data and supports data/AI utilization. Using advanced AI/ML technologies, it enables the collection, structuring, and integration of product data, accelerating digital transformation in manufacturing and retail. Lazuli PDP automates complex data processing and eliminates data silos across departments. By enabling companies to provide consistent product information, it contributes to improving customer experience and optimizing data utilization.

What is Lazuli PDP: https://corporate.lazuli.ninja/product-data-platform/