Retailers Embrace Agile Planning as Real-Time Demands Disrupt Traditional Product Lifecycle

Retailers today are balancing uncertainty across every corner of the product lifecycle. Supply chain delays. Market fluctuations. Category saturation. And the truth is—many planning and pricing tools weren’t built for this level of complexity. 

Planning and pricing used to be seasonal decisions but now they’re everyday decisions. Brands need to know—in the moment—what’s trending, what’s moving and what needs to change. 

And that’s where many retailers hit a wall. 

The systems aren’t talking to each other. The data is stale or siloed. Teams are stuck reacting instead of forecasting. Pricing gets set— and stays there— even when the market doesn’t. 

What’s emerging instead is a more agile, more responsive model—one where planning, pricing and product development are connected, continuous and driven by real-time data. 

Retailers leaning into this shift are rethinking the way they work by: 

• Letting predictive analytics guide their forecasting and pricing strategy
• Using centralized platforms to connect teams from concept through replenishment
• Responding to regional trends with localized assortments and flexible price points
• Automating decision-making, so planners can focus on strategy, not spreadsheets 

This isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about survival in a marketplace that no longer gives months to adapt.

Instead of planning once and reacting later, the most innovative brands are embracing a continuous planning model—one that’s dynamic, responsive and deeply connected across departments. 

This evolution is powered by best-in-class integrated solutions designed for modern retail complexity. Solutions like Centric Planning™, Centric Pricing & Inventory™ and Centric Market Intelligence™ enable retailers to:

• Forecast demand more accurately with AI-driven models based on real-time data
• Price strategically by analyzing market signals, including consumer and competitor behavior
• Adjust plans in-season with live collaboration and visual planning workspaces 
• Connect cross-functional teams through centralized data and unified workflows
• Localize assortments and pricing to boost sell-through and reduce markdowns

Took a look at best practices, insights and real-world strategies with our latest guide: Optimizing the Entire Product Lifecycle – Best Practices for Retail Success 

If planning and pricing strategies haven’t evolved—or teams are working harder just to keep up—it might be time to reframe what modern merchandising really means.