Just 16% of retailers have at least one AI engine in place and a mere 3% have multiple AI engines in place. A quarter are in the testing phase. AI leaders today have a significant advantage over laggards. 

Two specific goals where retailers want to see measurable results by deploying AI in their merchandise management functions are improving sell-through of inventory (59%) and improving margins (56%).

Three specific applications where retailers want to see measurable results by deploying AI in merchandise management functions are demand forecasting (56%), replenishment (44%) and price management (41%).