Key insights from NRF 2025 and Coresight Research: 10 AI Trends Redefining Retail
In the world of retail, staying ahead means embracing the latest innovations. As AI continues to dominate industry conversations, invent.ai was front and center at NRF 2025. AI was one of the biggest topics at the event, with industry leaders discussing how cutting-edge demand planning tools and AI-driven solutions are reshaping the retail landscape.
During the show, Gurhan Kok, invent.ai Founder and CEO, took the stage with Deborah Weinswig, Coresight Research CEO and Founder, and Scott Vifquain, Tailored Brands CIO, for a Big Ideas Session exploring key insights from Coresight's new report, "Retail 2025: 10 AI Trends—An Inflection Point in the GenAI Revolution." Together, they explored how AI is transforming retail by driving predictive analytics, hyper-personalization, and supply chain advancements—reshaping customer engagement, operational efficiency, and business strategy.
Strategic framework for AI adoption
Coresight kicked off the discussion by presenting a structured 12-month framework for integrating AI into retail operations, which focuses on four key areas:
- Funding: Retailers can leverage revenue streams such as data monetization and retail media networks (RMN) to run AI initiatives.
- Optimized operations: With hybrid and remote teams becoming the new norm, streamlining processes is crucial to align goals.
- Reinvented supply chains: Addressing global challenges, such as tariffs and disruptions, through AI-driven strategies is essential to future-proofing operations.
- Enhanced customer experiences: With different generations preferring varying in-store and online shopping channels, retailers must focus on delivering personalized and seamless experiences across their brand.
Transforming retail with demand planning software
Following the strategic framework discussion, Gurhan Kok shared how real-world solutions like invent.ai are already helping retailers achieve success with AI. AI-powered solutions provide retailers with powerful tools for merchandising planning, inventory optimization, and dynamic pricing. Unlike traditional methods, invent.ai integrates internal and external data sources to create foundational AI models that understand the unique business of each retailer. From merchandise financial planning to end-of-season markdowns, invent.ai does everything with a strong focus on providing accurate, scalable AI-powered solutions for large retailers.
For Tailored Brands, partnering with invent.ai in 2021 proved to be a game-changer, particularly in its tuxedo rental business. Unlike traditional retail where items are sold and gone, rental inventory constantly circulates. This requires careful management to ensure items are available when needed and accounted for throughout the rental cycle. Prior to using invent.ai, Tailored Brands relied heavily on spreadsheets, limiting scalability and flexibility. With invent.ai's AI-driven solutions, they have achieved:
- Optimized inventory management: Reducing excess inventory and improving allocation across five distribution centers.
- Enhanced customer service: Ensuring the right products are available at the right time and place, meeting customer expectations.
Looking ahead: AI-driven retail success with demand planning software
NRF 2025 highlighted the increasing importance of AI in shaping the future of retail. Retailers who embrace AI-driven forecasting, personalized marketing, and supply chain planning can expect enhanced profitability and sustainability. To remain competitive, retailers must stay agile and proactive in leveraging AI to drive business growth. Tailored Brands' journey with invent.ai serves as a powerful example of how AI can revolutionize traditional retail operations, providing a strategic roadmap for other retailers to follow.
As AI continues to redefine the retail experience, opportunities for smarter decision-making and improved customer satisfaction are expanding rapidly. Leveraging demand planning software, retailers can analyze historical data and align stock levels with demand drivers to create an efficient retail planning solution. By using a single source of truth, retailers can enhance their planning process and forecast accuracy in real time.
Watch the full session video now: Future of retail intelligence: 10 AI trends shaping 2025 and beyond