2027: Which Retailers Will Win as Inflation Bites? Don't Be Fooled. It's a Tech Race.

Tom Summerfield, Retail Director at Peak joins me on Tech Talks Daily to discuss how he has helped retailers including B&M, Nike, and ASOS to stay ahead of the curve. We discuss why retail survival in the current climate is likely to boil down to the tech they have at their disposal. we also explore the impact of inflation on retailers and how best to manage this against shrinking costs.

In the coming months, Primark won't be the only retailer fighting to be competitive as inflation squeezes margins. For the first time, we're going to see a divide opening up between the haves and the have nots; those with the tech in place to adequately manage yet another catastrophe in a sector already hit hard by supply chain distribution and fluctuating demand.

However, the battle ground won't just be operational efficiency (as big as it is), stock availability and convenience will be increasingly crucial. Shopper behaviours have changed post-pandemic, and are likely to again as inflation bites and consumers downgrade their choices. Demand forecasting is a struggle for many right now, and this could push them to breaking point. If retailers don't have the right stock on their shelves at the right time, they'll see once loyal customers voting with their feet. Artificial Intelligence is being leveraged across the value chain to tackle pain points that include demand forecasting, stock optimisation, allocation and distribution resource planning which are increasingly important in a high inflationary environment.

Tom Summerfield, Retail Director at Peak joins me on Tech Talks Daily to discuss how he has helped retailers including B&M, Nike, and ASOS to stay ahead of the curve. We discuss why retail survival in the current climate is likely to boil down to the tech they have at their disposal. we also explore the impact of inflation on retailers and how best to manage this against shrinking costs.