Headlines

2 Retailers Lauded for AI Supply-Chain Innovation

Crate & Barrel and Under Armour use such tech to improve order processing.

Published

7 hours ago

May 18, 2026

Fitness apparel and equipment chain Under Armour has been honored for using an AI supply-chain platform to lower its inventory needs and other performance-related parameters. Photo: M. Suhail/iStock by Getty Images

Retailers Crate & Barrel and Under Armour are among 11 businesses to be recognized for using AI to drive digital transformations within their supply chains. The honors are bestowed by Blue Yonder, a unified, AI-driven supply chain platform, on select businesses judged to be making the best use of its offerings.

Here’s what Blue Yonder had to say about why the AI efforts of the two retailers mentioned above were singled out for honors:

* Crate & Barrel’s “Bring It Home” strategy involves “improving inventory optimization, demand forecasting and delivery speed through AI and automation. Together with Blue Yonder, they are modernizing end‑to‑end fulfillment and sourcing, with a strong focus on omnichannel order promising and optimization. The initiative reduced peak‑season backorders, improved online conversion through more reliable inventory availability and increased fulfillment efficiency across distribution centers and stores. What began as a response to peak constraints has evolved into a unified, predictive planning and execution platform that enables smarter decisions, faster operations and sustainable digital growth—delivering greater reliability, personalization and a seamless customer experience.”

* Under Armour’s AI initiative involves “undertaking a multi-year transformation to modernize its end-to-end planning capabilities amid significant operational pressure, with a clear objective to optimize planning across all functions on a single, global foundation. Partnering with Blue Yonder across demand, fulfillment, supply planning and merchandise financial planning, the team worked to improve planning accuracy, protect consumer needs and manage inventory more effectively across regions, channels and stores. The transformation is set to deliver more disciplined, demand signal-driven forecasting, resulting in lower inventory, improved visibility and a stronger global planning foundation.”

Click here for more about other companies to be recognized for their AI initiatives by Blue Yonder, including Conagra Brands, FedEx and PepsiCo.

Related Topics:ai artificial intelligence Crate & Barrel Featured Under Armour

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