From dashboards to conversations: retail’s AI shift

Retail is entering a new phase of AI adoption, one grounded less in experimentation and more in operational reality. My latest piece explores how URBN is approaching that shift by rebuilding retail reporting around a shared semantic layer and governed AI.

Based on insights shared at NRF 2026, the article looks at a challenge many retailers face: disconnected systems, inconsistent metrics, and endless ad hoc reporting. Instead of adding more dashboards, URBN is working toward a model where teams can interact with trusted data conversationally, without losing governance or consistency.

The story examines how semantic layers create a shared business language across brands, regions, and teams, and why that foundation matters for scaling AI responsibly in retail operations.

It also highlights the very practical side of transformation: helping planners, allocators, and store associates spend less time chasing reports and more time making decisions.

This piece is part of my broader writing portfolio focused on AI, analytics, retail transformation, and enterprise technology.

Read the full article on Strategy blog.