The Evolving Role of Retail Professionals in the Age of AI

This week, I want to reflect on something close to my heart: the concrete impacts AI is having—and will continue to have—on the careers of those of us who live and breathe retail.

As a career executive in Technology and Operations, one of my long-standing missions has been bringing clarity to complex topics for non-technical business users. Seeing technology through the eyes of the actual end user has always been, in my opinion, central to being an effective executive.

The arc of retail technology

Looking back over the past few decades, each era brought its own technology focus:

• 1990s – ERP systems and telecommunications networks reigned supreme (hard to believe now, but bandwidth really was king!).
  
• 2000s – The internet and cloud computing shifted us away from bulky applications and costly infrastructure toward lighter, scalable platforms.
  
• 2020s – The focus has sharpened on modularity, data fluency, and now—AI. The goal? Solve problems and create value fast.
  

What’s different this time is the breadth of impact. Earlier innovations primarily affected the technology departments. Change management centered around IT—moving to the cloud, shifting from monolithic to modular architectures, and improving data pipelines. Business users cared about outcomes, but rarely the “how.”

With AI, that’s changed. The impact is far more expansive and cross-functional. AI is reshaping the entire retail workforce, not just tech teams. While some roles may fade and new ones will emerge, virtually every job will evolve.

That’s why now—more than ever—functional leaders across Marketing, Merchandising, Supply Chain, Technology, and beyond must actively grow their toolbox. It’s not just important. It’s urgent.

Key functional areas being reshaped by AI

Performance marketing

• Traditional media buying is being replaced by AI-driven programmatic advertising.
• New roles are emerging in AI optimization and prediction modeling.
• Analytics teams are gaining tools to precisely measure and forecast ROI, enabling smarter budget allocation.
• Content creation is scaling to meet the growing number of channels and increasingly nuanced customer personas.
  

Merchandising (traditional, site, and store)

• AI is being used in product development, helping teams explore what’s possible in new ways.
• Buyers and allocators are seeing 25%+ margin improvements by leveraging AI to better match demand and supply.
• Site merchants are leaning on AI to optimize product placement and pricing in real-time.
• In stores, AI is tracking customer behavior to reposition products—and even associate locations—for improved performance.
• Inventory management is becoming smarter, with AI helping reposition stock dynamically across stores and distribution centers.
  

Supply chain, fulfillment, and distribution

• Automation and robotics continue to transform roles inside DCs, but the rate and sophistication are accelerating.
• Associates must now embrace advanced tech tools in picking and packing workflows.
• Logistics planners are using AI to forecast lead times and align inventory with real-time demand.
• Order routing is becoming increasingly algorithmic, adjusting in real time to maximize both customer satisfaction and profitability.
  

Technology & data

• Legacy support roles are at risk as companies increasingly prioritize innovation over maintenance.
• Cybersecurity will remain a fast-growing field as threats evolve.
• Data teams must now partner more closely than ever with functional leaders to enable better, faster decisions. The idea that “that’s IT’s job” is quickly becoming outdated, and rightly so.
  
  

Embrace change, don’t fear it

I’m an optimist. This isn’t a fear-based message—it’s a call to curiosity. It’s an invitation to explore, learn, and lead.

If I could give one piece of advice to any retailer, especially those who may feel daunted by tech, it would be this:

Start by exploring how AI is transforming your function. Then look at your company, and finally at your broader industry.

This technology is here, and it’s accelerating. The sooner we all lean in, the more empowered we’ll be to shape our futures, not just respond to them.

Let’s not just keep up. Let’s lead the way.

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