04-08-2026
AI is reshaping retail, and a recent report from global consulting firm BRG — shared by Daniels School Business Fellow and BRG Managing Director & Retail Strategy Leader Jason Kuckkan — shows that impact will depend on disciplined, not experimental, adoption.
The report, Kuckkan notes, draws on insights from a survey of 100 retail leaders and executives directly involved in their companies’ AI implementation efforts, and incorporates important analysis from BRG’s Retail Performance Improvement group.
Why this research matters
- Nearly half of surveyed retailers report active AI use across core functions like IT, marketing, digital commerce and logistics, yet many still struggle to translate pilots into measurable business results.
- The study underscores a widening “last mile” gap between executive ambition and on-the-ground execution, especially where legacy systems and weak data governance slow AI at scale.
What does this mean for retailers?
- Embed AI in a clear operating model. Prioritize use cases tied to specific business problems — such as demand forecasting or dynamic pricing — and define ownership, processes and target ROI before scaling.
- Upgrade data and KPIs together. Invest in data quality and governance while tracking focused metrics like forecast accuracy, inventory turnover and AI-attributed margin lift to prove value and refine deployment.
Read the BRG report
