Date:
15 January 2025
Industry Sector:
Retail
AI Technology Vendors:
- Oracle Retail Labs (for Dick’s Sporting Goods)
- Centric Software (for fashion brands including LVMH, Michael Kors, and Versace)
Deploying Organizations:
- Dick’s Sporting Goods
- Sweetgreen
- Fashion brands (LVMH, Michael Kors, Versace)
Summary:
At the NRF’s 2025 Big Show, retailers showcased more concrete AI implementations compared to previous years. Dick’s Sporting Goods unveiled an AI-powered pricing model developed with Oracle Retail Labs to manage their 11 million weekly SKU price changes, optimize markdowns, and improve demand forecasting. The system allowed them to recalculate and run markdowns for an entire golf apparel assortment within 72 hours.
Sweetgreen is implementing “Infinite Kitchen” robotics technology that can produce up to 500 bowls per hour, freeing staff to focus on customer interactions.
Centric Software has developed AI solutions for fashion brands that help create new product styles by automatically generating parts and materials lists, helping clients like LVMH and Capri’s fashion brands get to market faster.
Despite the enthusiasm, retailers acknowledge AI’s limitations. Dick’s Sporting Goods highlighted they avoid “black-box models” that operate autonomously, preferring systems where human teams maintain control over final decisions using AI-generated insights.
