Dive Brief:
- Ralph Lauren is elevating AI to its C-suite, adding the technology to Naveen Seshadri's title earlier this month.
- Seshadri joined the retailer in April 2024 as the global head of consumer technology and digital commerce in North America. Ralph Lauren tapped the executive to serve as global chief digital officer in April, prior to the current iteration of his role.
- AI is becoming more prominent throughout the retailer’s operations, from the shopping experience online to inventory planning and within contact centers. Ralph Lauren did not respond to requests for additional information about the appointment.
Dive Insight:
Retailers are all-in on AI, using the technology to cut costs, improve customer experience and boost efficiencies.
Ralph Lauren executives identified AI, data and analytics as key pursuits earlier this year, even in the face of economic volatility. The retailer expects capital expenditures to account for 5% of its revenue in fiscal year 2026 as investments in technology ramp up.
“We started our AI journey nearly a decade ago, and we are now embracing agentic AI,” Iris Langlois-Meurinne, global chief marketing officer at Ralph Lauren, said during the company’s investor day in September. “We are ahead of the AI game because we have agile tech that evolves as fast as we do, sizable rich data that understands our customers deeply, talented data scientists that blend AI with style and work hand-in-hand with our creative teams.”
AI agents are the latest apple of the industry’s eye. Nearly two-thirds of retail leaders believe businesses are at risk of falling behind if they fail to adopt AI agents in the next two years, according to a Monday.com survey published in August.
Retailers are somewhat better positioned for agentic AI adoption than peers in other sectors. Nearly 1 in 5 retail organizations have implemented AI agents or multiagent systems, a Capgemini report found. Retailers were among the top five most advanced industries, according to the report.
Retail giant Walmart streamlined its agentic strategy during the summer, shifting focus to four “super agents.” Williams-Sonoma is another early adopter in the industry. The West Elm and Pottery Barn parent company is leaning on Salesforce to bring pilots into production, including agents that can reduce service costs and offer personalized support.
