Merchmix Unveils AI Ask-Your-Inventory-Anything Feature That Turn Retail Decisions into Action at NRF 2026

New AI-powered execution layer helps retailers query inventory and act in real time as retail margin pressure, labour shortages and demand volatility intensify

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, January 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- 𝐍𝐑𝐅 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 | 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐛 𝐊. 𝐉𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫- Merchmix today announced a major evolution of its AI Inventory Operating System, introducing a new generation of decision intelligence designed to help retailers move from insight to execution as they confront a $1.7 trillion global inventory distortion problem.

As retailers grapple with unpredictable demand, rising operating costs and chronic labour shortages, the challenge is no longer a lack of data - it is the inability to act on it fast enough. While most retail systems generate forecasts and dashboards, Merchmix is targeting what it calls retail’s “execution gap”: the delay between knowing what to do and actually doing it.

𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴
At the centre of the update, announced at NRF, is a new feature that enables teams to 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞. Instead of navigating complex BI tools, users can simply ask the system questions in plain English and receive instant insights, visualisations and recommended actions. This allows teams to make faster decisions during live trading, without waiting on analysts or end-of-day reports.Users can ask questions such as “Where are we going to lose sales this week if we don’t move stock?” or “Which products are at risk of selling out in our best-performing stores?” The system responds in real time, highlighting the products, locations and actions that matter most.

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐃𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
Another key update is the 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐢𝐱 𝐀𝐈 𝐓𝐨-𝐃𝐨 𝐋𝐢𝐬t, a workflow engine powered by prescriptive AI, software that doesn’t just analyse data or predict outcomes, but actively recommends the next best actions for teams to take. Instead of asking teams to interpret reports, the platform continuously analyses demand signals, operational constraints and commercial objectives, then recommends specific actions designed to protect margin, improve stock flow and reduce waste.

These actions range from increasing or reducing orders, to moving stock between locations or adjusting pricing to prevent lost sales or excess inventory. Each team sees a clear, prioritised list of actions tailored to their role, explaining what needs to happen, why it matters, and the commercial impact if it’s acted on.

By embedding decision-making directly into daily workflows, Merchmix aims to replace reactive firefighting with coordinated, proactive execution.

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥-𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
Merchmix also introduced a new approach to allocation and replenishment, two of retail’s most manual and error-prone processes. Instead of spreading inventory evenly or relying on last week’s sales, the platform continuously identifies which products are most likely to sell in each location and recommends where stock should be moved, held back or reordered to avoid lost sales and excess inventory. These recommendations adapt store-by-store, update in real time, and help retailers stay ahead of demand rather than reacting after opportunities have passed.

𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐢𝐱 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐈𝐀 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬
Merchmix said it has also strengthened its technical capability with senior hires across AI engineering, enterprise architecture and data science including Manav BV and Rajiv Jha as Data Scientists. This is supported by GPU-accelerated infrastructure through the NVIDIA Inception Program. The company has also established a specialist retail advisory network of former retail CEOs, chief merchants and supply-chain leaders to ground its AI models in real-world execution.

“Retailers know inventory is their biggest profit lever, yet most still rely on fragmented systems and manual decision-making,” said Nicola Bond, Co-Founder and CEO of Merchmix. “When AI predicts demand and drives actions in real time, retailers don’t just protect margin, they unlock growth.”

Merchmix is now scaling across the UK, Europe, APAC and the US, with customers spanning fashion, pharmacy, FMCG, home and automotive sectors.

𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐢𝐱 𝐚𝐭 𝐍𝐑𝐅 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔: 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟗𝟏𝟎, 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐇𝐮𝐛
Journalists, analysts and influencers can book exclusive on-stand briefings and see live demonstrations of:

- Agentic AI workflows in action
- SKU-level forecasting and replenishment
- Real-time allocation optimisation
- Data-driven store layout recommendations

Ends -

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐢𝐱
Merchmix is an AI-powered Inventory Operating System that unifies planning, buying, merchandising, finance and store operations into a single source of truth. By transforming 200+ signals into real-time predictions and automated actions, Merchmix helps retailers reduce waste, increase sell-through and grow profitably.

Founded by former retail leaders with experience at Marks & Spencer, ASOS, Debenhams, Tesco, Kmart, Alshaya Group and Inditex, Merchmix operates globally from London, New York, Sydney and Melbourne.

Gerry Wisniewski
Catchfire PR Ltd
+44 7875 264534
gerrywiz@catchfire.co

Merchmix Allocation & Replenishment: Right Product, Right Store, Right Time

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