Retail in 2026 is navigating digital transformation, rising costs, and supply chain disruption. The fact sheet sets out the outlook — mid-single-digit growth driven by digital commerce, loyalty programs, and omnichannel experiences, a shift to hyper-personalized experiences, and 60% of retailers reporting improved demand forecasting and inventory management with AI tools.
It names four key supply chain challenges — disruptions and delays, rising costs, inventory strain, and sustainability pressure — and five SAP solution areas: SAP Integrated Business Planning and SAP Business Network for visibility, SAP ERP Cloud for cost control, SAP Global Trade Services for compliance, the SAP Customer Experience suite for omnichannel and personalization, and SAP Sustainability Control Tower for ESG.
Sector notes cover fashion retail (high inventory risk and returns, with Gen Z returns estimated at 44%), grocery retail (perishables and thin margins), and electronics retail (rapid product lifecycles and component shortages), followed by why retailers choose ETS as their SAP partner.
The full fact sheet is available above as a PDF. For more depth see "Retail Market Overview 2026: Executive Brief" and the full deck "Retail Market Overview 2026: Fashion, Grocery, and Electronics with SAP Cloud Solutions" in the Resource Library.