Geopolitical tensions, volatile supply chains and a persistently weak consumer climate are currently causing a lot of problems for stationary retail. Three award-winning practical solution examples show how the industry is mastering classic supply chain challenges with artificial intelligence (AI), process automation and real-time analysis.

AI is becoming increasingly popular in retail. This is what the results show Survey by SAP and the German Trade Association (HDE). According to this, around two thirds of those surveyed are now planning to use intelligent solutions. “The proportion of companies that do not want to implement such activities has more than halved since 2020,” emphasizes Stefan Binkowski, SAP Vice President Retail & Wholesale Advisory. Those surveyed see great potential in the use of AI, especially in the areas of assortment and goods planning as well as goods supply. And it is precisely this topic that SAP is addressing with Industry AI and, in this specific case, with “Retail Intelligence”.

The following practical examples, awarded by the EHI Retail Institute, show what this can look like along the supply chain:

Globus: AI automates master data quality in retail

The topic of master data maintenance is one of the most important tasks in retail. Incorrect item data results in delivery delays, stock-outs, high return rates and dissatisfied customers.

The Globus retail chain was therefore looking for a way to automate the Excel-based check cycles for the growing amounts of data. They found what they were looking for at SAP partner consenso: Intelligent Data Modeling (iDM) is now fully integrated into the retail chain's SAP landscape and analyzes millions of data sets every day using over 100 implemented test rules. 30 percent of the errors found are corrected fully automatically in real time, reducing manual effort from 72 to 24 hours.

What particularly sets the model apart: Departments can create new quality rules independently using an SAP Fiori interface. Data competence is therefore relocated to where it is needed. This is also why the EHI Retail Institute awarded the project the renowned reta award in spring 2026.

Marc O'Polo: Omnichannel replenishment planning for 46 countries

Successful omnichannel supply chains must overcome the boundaries between physical and digital inventory. This also applies to Marc O'Polo. The fashion label is active across channels in 46 countries with more than 2,000 of its own stores and wholesale partners. In the past, however, the evolved, fragmented system landscape without cross-channel transparency made targeted replenishment planning difficult.

To counteract this, Marc O'Polo completely restructured his supply chain with the support of SAP partner KPS. Fragmented individual processes became an integrated, data-driven omnichannel platform based on SAP S/4HANA, SAP CAR and embedded EWM. The core element of the new solution is cross-channel replenishment logic that transfers real-time POS data directly into automated inventory decisions.

The results speak for themselves: live transparency across all distribution centers, shorter order-to-cash cycles, higher product availability and sales growth of 54 percent over the past five years. Reason enough for the EHI Retail Institute to also award this project the reta award 2026.

Beeline: AI automates global goods control

Another company on this year's reta shortlist was the Beeline Group. The retailer sells fashion jewelry and accessories through a concession model in drugstores, fashion stores and department stores. The operational complexity is enormous: each sales channel has its own range, its own sales rhythm, its own logistics requirements. Beeline currently supplies more than 35,000 sales outlets worldwide, with several thousand new ones added every year.

In order to manage the rapid expansion efficiently and sustainably, Beeline decided to automate the existing, highly fragmented goods control with the help of SAP partner CAS. Today, the fashion jewelry retailer maps merchandise planning, allocation and replenishment via a fully automated end-to-end platform based on SAP S/4HANA, SAP CAR and SAP BTP. AI algorithms handle demand forecasts, assortment decisions and allocation to each individual location worldwide. The result: decreased response rates, increased sell-out rates and a platform that keeps pace with Beeline's growth.

SAP as the backbone of a data-driven organization

Globus, Marc O'Polo and Beeline specifically focus on the topic of supply chain excellence in their projects. The Veyseloglu Group from Azerbaijan, on the other hand, shows that the intelligent alignment of trading processes can also be approached holistically. The group of companies combines retail, wholesale, logistics and its own production under one roof and uses SAP as the foundation of the entire corporate architecture.

The conglomerate operates 32 SAP modules as its operational backbone, including SAP S/4HANA Retail, SAP TM, SAP EWM, SAP MDG, SAP F&R and aATP and SAP SuccessFactors. The Veyseloglu Group thus benefits from real-time inventory overview, automatic reordering, personalized customer offers via app, more stable data quality and optimized HR and payroll management for over 25,000 employees.

In the future, the group wants to further expand its omnichannel strategy, further secure the supply chain through local procurement and counteract the shortage of skilled workers in Azerbaijan through targeted upskilling. The Veyseloglu Group has recognized that a uniform data platform is not only the basis for implementing its digital strategy, but also for the use of AI. “A prime example of a consistent SAP strategy that is based on the knowledge that the use of AI is not sustainable without a solid data foundation,” says Stefan Binkowski. “This proves once again that a consistent SAP strategy can transform an entire corporate ecosystem,” says Stefan Binkowski.