Retailers Embrace Visual Media to Deliver Personalized, Immersive Shopping Experiences
Retailers are increasingly turning to visual media to create seamless, personalized online and in-store experiences, according to global research by Cloudinary. The report highlights that 93% of retailers believe personalization alone can deliver a 50–400% improvement in business outcomes. As technology adoption matures, retailers are now able to address multiple consumer preferences simultaneously, including accessibility, sustainability, and immersive experiences like virtual try-on and 3D.
Personalization Driving Significant ROI
Personalization has become a cornerstone of digital strategy for 88% of retailers. This trend is driven by the complexity of modern shopping behaviors—shoppers use various devices across countries, languages, currencies, and bandwidth environments.
To meet this demand, many retailers are leveraging automation: 67% adjust content dynamically based on language, currency, browser, and device; 65% tailor content by location; and 50% optimize media for available bandwidth. These efforts help improve performance while ensuring content remains accessible and relevant to diverse audiences.
Accessibility is also a top priority. Key actions include optimizing for screen readers (62%), adding alt text to visual assets (57%), and including closed captions (56%). Notably, two-thirds of retailers report readiness for the upcoming European Accessibility Act (EAA).
Combined, these efforts explain why 93% of retailers reported significant performance improvements, including up to a 4X ROI from personalization initiatives.
Next-Generation Digital Experiences Gain Momentum
With foundational personalization efforts in place, retailers are now focusing on immersive, visually rich experiences. Cloudinary’s research indicates that in 2025, top priorities include video (62%), virtual try-on (53%), augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) at 46%, and 3D experiences (36%).
These advanced visual tools help shoppers make faster, more informed decisions while also reducing return rates—delivering both financial and environmental benefits.
Sustainability is a Growing Focus
Despite demand for frictionless experiences, sustainability remains critical to consumers and retailers alike. About 62% of retailers are actively tracking energy use and adopting eco-friendly digital practices. These include optimizing media delivery for energy efficiency (50%), recycling digital content (47%), reducing duplicate storage (46%), and reporting carbon footprints from digital platforms (41%).
Digitizing the In-Store Experience
Retailers are applying ecommerce strategies in-store to enhance the physical shopping experience. According to the survey, 66% are using QR codes for detailed product info and promotions, 64% use mobile apps for navigation and assistance, and 32% are integrating AR to simulate online shopping experiences in physical locations.
These efforts represent a strategic shift in retail, where technology not only enhances convenience but also blends the physical and digital to create cohesive, modern consumer journeys.
Survey Methodology
The Cloudinary Global Retail Survey 2025 was conducted by Researchscape International. It included 448 respondents from retail departments across 14 countries, surveyed between February 20 and March 17. Organizations were required to have at least 1,000 images and 100 videos on their websites or mobile apps to qualify.
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