SAP, the German software leader, has unveiled a suite of AI enhancements specifically for retailers, as announced on January 8, ahead of NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show in New York. Balaji Balasubramanian, SAP’s chief product officer, emphasized the necessity of AI in today’s retail landscape, stating that SAP now offers an integrated retail operating system that combines planning, execution, and customer engagement. Key innovations include the Retail Intelligence solution in SAP Business Data Cloud, launching in the first half of the year, which streamlines demand and inventory planning using data from SAP and third-party sources. Additionally, the upcoming Order Reliability Agent, set for the second quarter of 2026, will help retailers tackle order issues proactively to ensure customer satisfaction. As consumer expectations evolve, the shift from assistive to agentic AI underscores the need for retailers to be prepared for autonomous commerce to foster customer loyalty and trust in this dynamic environment.
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