Neeraj Tolmare

As consumer industries face rising input costs, evolving regulations, and climate-related supply chain pressures, many companies are rethinking how they design and manage product portfolios. BCG’s Designed to Sustainable Value (D2SV) methodology offers a structured and data-driven approach to help companies redesign products with a simultaneous focus on cost, customer value and sustainability and health. By integrating data on materials, carbon intensity, recyclability, and consumer trends, D2SV helps businesses identify opportunities for product innovation that support long-term competitiveness while addressing climate-related risks. In an environment of increasing regulatory and market uncertainty, D2SV offers a practical framework to embed sustainability into core product strategy driving value creation and portfolio resilience. Learn more about this approach in our latest article here: https://lnkd.in/e3T4_pW4

161

5 Comments

Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and OpenAI are expanding their partnership around OpenAI’s new agentic platform, Frontier, to support enterprise-scale AI transformation. By combining OpenAI’s frontier technology with BCG’s transformation expertise and BCG X’s engineering capabilities, we help organizations scale AI with discipline, measurable impact, and clear accountability. As AI moves from experimentation toward enterprise integration, the focus is embedding it into core workflows and operating models in ways that deliver sustained performance. Read more about our partnership: https://on.bcg.com/40oAx81

34

Nestlé, LVMH and L'Oréal are using #AI-powered digital twins to transform content creation faster, more personalized, and at scale. See how these global giants are rethinking marketing with cutting-edge tech. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/eA8zDK5W CGT - Consumer Goods Technology Liz Dominguez

14

According to the company, Albertsons Companies India marks a strategic investment in developing scalable technology solutions aimed at modernizing core systems, integrating data science and artificial intelligence (AI), and accelerating enterprise-wide retail transformation. #DigitalTransformation #GroceryRetail #RetailTech

6

Lorraine "Lo" Stomski’s reflection on why EQ matters even more in the age of AI really resonated.   Sam Walton modeled this early – listening is leadership. People come first. That standard still shapes how we build talent and design technology today.   AI is unlocking capability across our teams, but the goal isn’t efficiency alone. It’s creating space for better conversations, stronger leadership and deeper connection with customers. As tech handles more transactions, human moments matter more.   Proud of how our teams are building AI capability and emotional capability in parallel - truly people-led and tech-powered.

32

Robust IT Infrastructure: The Backbone of Efficient Retail Warehouse Operations! At Baazar Style Retail Ltd., we recognize that a strong IT foundation is critical for smooth and scalable retail operations—especially in our central Warehouse (WH) located at Kolkata. To meet rising operational demands, Style Baazar has invested in cutting-edge wireless technologies and core IT infrastructure. These advancements have reduced wireless latency to below 5 milliseconds, enabling seamless warehouse operations and delivering a 3x to 4x boost in efficiency compared to traditional setups. Our success lies in the strategic integration of the right technologies, including: — A seamless wireless network — A robust IT backbone — Automated Replenishment Systems (ARS) — Optimized IT operations Together, these innovations have empowered us to meet increasing customer demand with greater speed, accuracy, and reliability.

128

7 Comments

After two days at NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show in NYC, one thing is clear: Retail isn’t debating what’s next anymore — leaders are actively rewiring how companies operate, decide, and lead. Across keynotes and panels, from legacy giants to founder-led disruptors, a few themes kept surfacing again and again 👇 ⚡ AI is no longer a technology conversation — it’s a leadership one Sundar Pichai (Google) and John Furner (Walmart) made it clear: AI and agentic commerce aren’t experiments. They’re becoming the connective tissue between discovery, decision, and fulfillment. The real differentiator isn’t the model — it’s whether leadership teams can: - Make decisions faster - Redesign roles and workflows - Trust humans + machines to work together ⚙️ Agentic commerce is already reshaping demand, not “someday” From Google to Shopify-led ecosystems, leaders shared real signals — not hype. Orders coming from AI-native interfaces are growing exponentially, not incrementally. The implication for boards and CEOs: the cost of waiting is now higher than the cost of learning in public. 🧭 Culture has become a competitive advantage (again) Ed Stack (Dick’s Sporting Goods) reminded the room that strategy fails without the right culture. His emphasis on humility, team-first leadership, and building environments where people can win together — not compete internally — was one of the most grounded leadership moments of the show. Similarly, Mary Beth Laughton (REI) reinforced that trust, values, and clarity of purpose aren’t “nice to haves” — they’re how you scale sustainably in uncertain times. 🔥 Focus beats scale — discipline is the new growth skill Michael Rubin (Fanatics) and other founder-CEOs were refreshingly consistent: - Don’t chase every opportunity - Be famous for one thing you do better than anyone else - Build ecosystems, not just channels - In a world of endless options, restraint is leadership. 💡 The customer hasn’t gotten simpler — leadership has to get better Whether it was Gen Z/Alpha discussions, DTC trailblazers, or global brands, the takeaway was the same: - Consumers expect personalization, speed, and authenticity - But they also expect trust and consistency - Meeting those expectations now requires sharper org design, clearer decision rights, and leaders comfortable navigating ambiguity. 👥 The talent bar is quietly being reset Across sessions, a new leadership profile emerged: - Customer-obsessed - AI-literate (not AI-dependent) - Comfortable saying “not now” - Able to scale culture, not just revenue This isn’t about replacing people — it’s about evolving what great leadership looks like in retail. 💡 What excites you most about how retail leadership is evolving right now? #NRF2026 #RetailLeadership #FutureOfRetail #AIinRetail #AgenticCommerce #CustomerExperience #RetailTransformation

101

10 Comments

Bain & Company - The 2026 Retail Executive Agenda Successfully leading a retail business is getting harder—you’re not imagining it. The S&P Retail Index grew only 12% over the past three years, while the broader S&P rose 21%. The top 100 retailers had an average CEO turnover rate of 22% during the same period, up from 17% over the previous three years, according to our analysis of BoardEx data. Cycles are compressing, there’s no longer safety in scale alone, and iconic brands are going bankrupt. #Bain #Retail #turnover #brand #Growth #Business #CEO https://lnkd.in/exDctWvY

2

AI is driving new demands on IT—from GPU-heavy cloud servers to smarter edge devices. This Bain report breaks it down and shows why this exponential growth may have businesses reassessing their strategic visions:

4

As customers are becoming more conscious of data privacy and selective, retailers are increasingly looking at optimizing the touchpoints, orchestrating channels, fine tuning tailored campaigns, and moving away from "spray and pray" to "start with dart" approach to augment both physical and digital customer footprints. Glad to be featured in Adtech Today Middle East to discuss how generative AI with the right mix of agentic workflows can maximize conversion, and what it takes for retailers to get there

116

3 Comments

Wrapping up a busy and inspiring week after three fabulous days at NRF 2026, centered on “The Next Now.” The theme captured a powerful reality: retailers must excel in today’s environment while preparing for a near future that will look radically different. Across the show floor and in every conversation, a few themes dominated—AI, operational excellence, the return of human‑centered retail, and bold new models for customer experience. AI, in particular, was everywhere this year, shaping discussions about productivity, personalization, and the evolution of frontline work. I had the opportunity to spend meaningful time with teams from AWS, Monks, Salsify, Adobe, Microsoft, Centrica, and many more—as well as reconnect with so many industry friends, both old and new. What an exciting and inspiring moment for technology and for retail. The future really is arriving faster than ever.

106

4 Comments

Over the years, I’ve learned that most transformation efforts don’t fail because of strategy. They fail because the operating model doesn’t change with the strategy. When growth accelerates or complexity increases, leaders can sometimes double down on execution without first clarifying decision rights, governance, or operating rhythm. The result is motion without momentum. The work that actually unlocks performance is empowering teams, aligning how decisions get made, how teams interact, and how leaders stay accountable as scale increases. In my experience, when operating clarity improves, execution speed follows. Direct link: https://lnkd.in/gg5euQM8

43