Retail planning has never been more complex, with shorter trend cycles, unpredictable shopper behavior, and constant market disruptions making it harder for brands to keep the right products in the right place at the right time. Yet many teams still rely on spreadsheets or outdated systems that were never built for the realities of modern retail, leading to misaligned plans, slow reactions, and missed opportunities. In this episode of Beyond the Shelf, Centric Planning product leader David Sheekey explains the biggest flaws in traditional retail planning and how they cost brands time and margin, how AI-driven planning delivers real-time forecasts and instant scenario adjustments, and how automation frees planners to focus on strategy instead of spreadsheets. He also explores how Centric Planning unifies demand, assortment, channel, and financial planning in one intelligent platform. Whether you’re managing omnichannel assortments, navigating supply chain disruptions, or simply trying to plan faster, this 10-minute episode reveals what’s possible when AI powers your retail planning.