From Spreadsheets to Superpowers: How Agentic AI is Revolutionizing Merchandising
S5E12 - The Future of AI in Merchandising & Buying with Noah Herschman and Jeff Fish
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One of the most striking moments in our conversation with Gareth Johns, Chief Data Officer at TruRating, was when he reminded us: “Every customer that you have is a customer of your competitor as well.” It’s a simple truth, but one that many retailers forget. Loyalty isn’t about ownership. It’s about earning the next visit, the next purchase, the next moment of trust.
Agentic AI for Merchandising: Superpowers for Retail Buyers & Planners
Merchandising has always been the “hub of the wheel” in retail.
It’s where creativity meets analytics, where instinct meets spreadsheets, and where the right product decisions determine whether a retailer thrives or struggles.
In the latest episode of The Retail Razor Show, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden dive into the transformational impact Agentic AI is having on merchandising and buying in retail. Joining them are special guests, Jeffrey Fish, Co-CEO and Founder of intelo.ai, and Noah Herschman, Strategic Industry Advisor to intelo.ai.
As Noah Herschman put it in this episode:
“The merchant is really the person that controls the outcome of the retailer, whether it’s e-commerce or bricks and mortar… It’s about the product.”
And yet, the complexity of retail today is overwhelming. Buyers and planners are juggling more data than ever before, from supply chain constraints to competitor pricing, consumer trends, and even local events. That’s why Agentic AI in retail merchandising is such a game-changer.
Episode Highlights
1. Merchandising as the hub of retail success
Noah reminded us that merchandising is both art and science:
“You have to predict the future, understand the trends, and really look at the analytics. But you also need a vision for the product - what colors, what styles, what customers will want.”
2. The spreadsheet dilemma
Casey Golden shared a familiar frustration:
“I’d cut off anybody’s hand that even attempted to touch my Excel spreadsheet.”
Jeff Fish explained why this mindset persists:
“There are still merchandisers and planners in every organization that hold their spreadsheets like they are gold and will not give them up.”
But with Agentic AI, spreadsheets don’t disappear, they become smarter. Planners can upload and download them, while AI agents learn from the data and provide reasoning in real time.
3. From gut instinct to collaborative intelligence
Jeff captured the shift perfectly:
“It’s like hiring six or seven PhDs that come and work with you to help you make your job better. But working 24/7 without vacation, without breaks, and continuously learning from what you’re doing.”
Noah added:
“I don’t think agents are going to replace the genius of the buyer. What they can do is superpower them - do things they may not want to do or have the capacity to do.”
4. Why traditional tools fell short
Jeff contrasted older machine learning systems with today’s agentic AI:
“They were algorithmic and constrained, generally a black box. Merchandisers would download a spreadsheet because they couldn’t do what they needed inside the system. Now, reasoning allows you to interact with AI the same way we’re talking now.”
5. Real-world wow moments
Jeff shared where customers see the biggest impact:
In-season planning and allocations
Rebalancing inventory across stores
Building merchandising financial plans (MFPs) faster and more collaboratively
“That’s where there’s that magic moment going, ‘I never thought this was possible.’”
Why This Matters
Retail merchandising has always been about vision and instinct.
But now, with Agentic AI, merchandisers can factor in real-time data like weather, local events, and competitor pricing - things that were impossible to manage with spreadsheets alone.
As Noah explained:
“There’s still money you’re leaving on the table because you’re not doing this PhD stuff… That’s where these agents can come in and really do an amazing job.”
This isn’t about replacing the buyer’s creativity.
It’s about giving merchandisers superpowers to elevate their decisions and unlock new opportunities.
Join us on the journey…
The future of retail merchandising isn’t spreadsheets alone.
It’s humans and Agentic AI working together.
Combining creativity, intuition, and reasoning to transform retail outcomes.
As Jeff put it:
“Let the pattern recognition go to the agents, and let us focus on instinct.”
For more insights on Agentic AI and merchandising, be sure to listen to the full episode of The Retail Razor Show!
Until next time! Stay sharp. Stay human. Stay ahead!
Sincerely,
Ricardo Belmar & Casey Golden
Co-hosts of The Retail Razor Show
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