The BFSHOW Arena — a content and training space designed for professionals in the footwear sector — hosted some of the market’s key discussions during the 6th edition of BFSHOW. The program brought together experts in retail, communication, trends, and innovation to discuss the challenges and paths forward for the segment, as consumers become increasingly connected, discerning, and driven by the shopping experience.
For visitors, the exclusive area proved essential in broadening market perspectives and insights. “Given the changes in the sector, we need to see e-commerce as an ally. It is very important for the event to offer this type of talk, as it generates knowledge and guides our strategies,” says Ramarim sales representative, Thais Garcia.
Among the central themes of the talks, the transformation of consumer behavior in the digital environment took center stage. Opening the agenda, the talk “Footwear consumers have changed. Does your company’s communication reflect that?”, led by Victoria Tomaz and Ana Luísa Martins from Grupo NSM, emphasized that nearly half of Brazilians already shop online, consolidating a hybrid journey between physical and digital channels — a shift that requires brands to adopt more strategic and personalized communication.
“Humanization is not about saying good morning on social media — it’s about truly connecting with the customer,” said Victoria Tomaz, CEO of the group, as she addressed the need to build genuine connections. According to her, the culture of impulse buying has lost momentum, making room for more conscious and selective consumers.
Following that, the program brought retail management to the center of the debate with the talk “My fashion is entrepreneurship: how to achieve real profit and become a market reference,” led by Chai Demarch. The specialist emphasized the importance of the entrepreneur’s active involvement in every stage of the business, as well as the development of strategic planning focused on sustainable growth.
In the presentation “Retail in the age of AI: operations are the new marketing,” Caio Camargo — a LinkedIn Top Voice and host of Varejo Cast — discussed the impacts of artificial intelligence on consumer relationships and argued that emotional connection should be consolidated as a competitive differentiator. “In an increasingly automated landscape, experience and relationships emerge as decisive factors for customer loyalty and sales,” he notes.
Fashion trends for Summer 2027 also took the spotlight on the second day of the event. In the talk “Summer 27 Must-Haves,” Bruna Mayer — a fashion researcher and head of content at Portal Fashion Direction — presented movements set to influence the upcoming season, such as Nomadic, an aesthetic evolution of bohoas well as concepts like Natural Breeze, Granny Romance and Joy Escape, a trend marked by the return of maximalism and visual expressiveness, a characteristic that was also strongly reflected among the trade show’s exhibitors.
Closing the discussions on digital transformation, the panel “Connecting the future of footwear with Brazil’s leading marketplaces” brought together executives Daniela Shinzato, head of Fashion at Mercado Livre; Bruna Matta, head of Marketplace at Dafiti; and Thiago Nascimento, commercial director at Privalia, with moderation by Vivianne Vilela, content director at E-commerce Brasil. Among the key topics discussed was the shift in online search behavior, now driven much more by context. In this scenario, detailed and strategic product descriptions become essential to increase conversion rates and competitiveness across marketplaces.
For Tatiana Mesquita, head of marketing at Pampili, the main insight from the program lies in defining specific strategies for each channel. “The key takeaway is how to boost sales without falling into price cannibalization, while at the same time scaling volume even in a highly competitive environment. Platforms should be viewed strategically and used to our advantage,” she concludes.
