What: AI agents are transforming retail operations, optimising stock replenishment, automating shelf management, and improving supply chain efficiency through data-driven insights and learning capabilities.

Why it is important: The integration of AI agents into supply chain management promises significant productivity gains, minimised stockouts, and enhanced decision-making, enabling retailers to better compete in a demanding and evolving market.

AI agents are ushering in a new era for retail store supply chains, providing transformative tools for operational efficiency. By complementing existing AI technologies like predictive analytics, agentic AI enables greater explainability and learning capabilities, allowing supply chain managers to gain actionable insights about inventory risks, product optimisation, and purchasing priorities. These agents not only analyse and refine predictions but also suggest improvements, such as tailored product mixes or identifying alternative suppliers, with humans retaining validation control. Applied in stores, AI agents coupled with computer vision technology monitor shelf conditions in real time, sending alerts to replenish stock and reduce losses due to stockouts, which currently account for 4% of retailer losses. Early pilot results indicate productivity gains, including a 75% reduction in time spent addressing procurement risks and a 30% boost in employee efficiency. Despite these benefits, adoption in France is slower than in the US due to infrastructure challenges in physical stores, particularly limited network bandwidth. However, technologies like edge computing—featured prominently at the NRF retail event—are emerging as solutions to improve data processing and drive broader adoption of AI agents in supply chain management.

IADS Notes: The retail industry's embrace of AI agents has shown measurable impact throughout 2024-2025. While Coresight Research initially identified a 4.5% loss in retail sales due to operational inefficiencies , successful AI implementations have demonstrated significant improvements, with Intime Department Store achieving a 15% boost in counter sales . The technology's broader impact is evident in the 87% of companies reporting revenue increases of 6% or more through AI adoption . However, the article's emphasis on infrastructure challenges is validated by data showing only 10% of retailers successfully scaling their AI applications , though recent initiatives like France's €109bn AI infrastructure investment  suggest progress in addressing this gap.

AI agents, a promise of revolution for store supply