Retail inventory planning is entering a new phase

Rising demand volatility, shorter product lifecycles and the complexity of unified commerce are exposing retailers to the limits of traditional planning approaches.

Gartner’s 2026 Market Guides for Forecasting, Allocation & Replenishment outlined key takeaways for the retail industry as it evolves toward more adaptive, coordinated and execution-focused inventory decisions with AI.

The retail From Planning to Execution guide explains the four key changes Gartner Analysts predict are reshaping how retailers plan, allocate and replenish inventory including:

• The shift from static rules to AI-driven decision-making technology that continuously incorporate real-time and external signals
• How forecasting, allocation and replenishment are moving to unified decision-making across channels
• How AI is evolving beyond generating insights to executing decisions through agent-based systems with human oversight
• The opportunity to move from batch planning cycles to continuous, margin-aware decision-making in a fast-changing environment

Learn what Gartner analysts say are the key criteria when upgrading your retail inventory technology.