What: Retail merchandising is being redefined as merchants evolve into “consumer visionaries,” blending human insight, technology, and agility to drive customer intimacy, dynamic assortment, and brand loyalty.

Why it is important: By redefining the merchant’s role, retailers can break down silos, foster innovation, and deliver more relevant, personalized experiences that drive loyalty and long-term value.

The role of merchandising in retail is undergoing a profound transformation as merchants shift from traditional, margin-focused planning to becoming “consumer visionaries” who blend deep human understanding with technology and agility. Today’s merchants are expected to act as content curators and influencers, integrating social commerce, omnichannel experiences, and real-time data to build true consumer intimacy. AI and automation are elevating the merchant’s role, freeing teams from routine tasks and enabling rapid test-and-learn cycles, dynamic assortment, and personalized value propositions. Success now depends on decoding customer motivations, orchestrating connected offers, and delivering delight at speed—requiring merchants to collaborate closely with marketing, planning, and inventory teams. This evolution is driven by the need for resilience, innovation, and the ability to pivot quickly in response to economic headwinds, supply chain disruptions, and shifting consumer behaviors. Retailers that invest in developing these capabilities will create durable advantages, positioning the merchant as a key driver of brand loyalty and sustainable growth.

IADS Notes:

The transformation of retail merchandising is being driven by a convergence of technology, data, and evolving consumer expectations, as documented by BCG (May 2025), Inside Retail (March 2025), Retail Systems Research (April 2025), and Forbes (March 2025). The BCG survey of 350 retailers reveals a significant gap between current merchandising practices and future requirements, with AI adoption and automation emerging as critical enablers for efficiency, dynamic assortment, and real-time decision-making. Inside Retail highlights how AI-driven hyper-personalisation is now essential for meeting consumer demand for tailored experiences, while Retail Systems Research underscores the urgency of moving beyond traditional Excel-based planning to data-driven, AI-enabled merchandise management. Forbes emphasizes that true productivity gains come from integrating technology with people and process changes, enabling merchants to focus on strategy, creativity, and customer intimacy. Collectively, these developments illustrate how the merchant role is evolving into that of a “consumer visionary”—one who blends human insight, digital fluency, and agility to drive brand loyalty, competitive advantage, and sustainable growth in a complex retail landscape.

The rise of the consumer visionary merchant