How Retail Supply Chains Are Being Rebuilt for 2026 — Leaders Share Practical Plans

Survey names and timing: who ran it, when it came out, and why it matters for 2026 planning

WSI and Kase, with research support from TrendCandy, released a report on Dec. 9, 2025 titled “How Retail Supply Chain Leaders Are Rebuilding for 2026.” The study draws on responses from 250 senior retail supply chain professionals across national and regional brands. That sample size gives the report enough breadth to spot patterns, and its timing — late 2025 — means the findings reflect what leaders are actually budgeting and planning now for next year.

What leaders say they will do first: a clear list of priorities

The survey lays out a short list of changes retailers are prioritizing for 2026. It reads like a back-to-basics playbook that also leans on modern tools. The headline moves, in order of how many respondents prioritized them, are:

• Increase strategic inventory buffers at critical nodes — keeping more stock in places that most affect on-time delivery.
• Shift fulfillment closer to customers by expanding local warehouses, dark stores or micro-fulfillment centers.
• Redesign distribution networks to reduce single points of failure and shorten transit times.
• Adopt selective automation and AI in operations — not wholesale replacement, but targeted tools for forecasting, picking and routing.
• Strengthen supplier relationships and diversify sourcing for key items to reduce disruption risk.

The release highlights that many executives framed these moves as balancing cost and service: they want faster, more reliable deliveries without repeating the costly overstocking of earlier years. “We need networks that bend without breaking,” one quote in the release summarizes the new mindset. Another line in the release noted retailers are moving from reactive patchwork fixes to planned, fundable investments for 2026.

Concrete operational shifts: how retailers expect to execute these plans

The survey is practical about execution. Respondents describe changes that are operational rather than theoretical. For inventory, that means keeping extra units of the fastest-moving SKUs in multiple regional sites rather than one national pool. For fulfillment, several retailers plan to convert underused retail space into local distribution points or to lease micro-fulfillment capacity near dense customer pockets.

On technology, the take is cautious and targeted. Leaders expect to roll out AI tools that improve demand forecasts and automate repetitive picking tasks, but they also plan human oversight and staged pilots before wide deployment. A typical example in the responses: deploy automated sortation at two regional centers, measure error and speed, then scale if it reduces labor hours while keeping accuracy steady.

Supplier strategy is also concrete. Retailers will dual-source critical items, shorten lead times by consolidating carriers for key lanes, and use contract clauses that make service and on-time delivery measurable. These moves help execution but require clearer KPIs, stronger carrier coordination and sometimes higher short-term costs.

What this will mean for retailers, suppliers and shoppers

In the near term, expect frictions. Building local fulfilment capacity and changing supplier contracts costs money and takes operational focus. That can mean tighter margins or slower growth in other areas during the rollout. Logistics partners will face demand for faster lane options and more flexible short-notice capacity.

Over the medium term, the payoff should be steadier availability and faster deliveries for consumers, and fewer headline supply shocks for retailers. For suppliers, the emphasis on measurement and dual sourcing raises the bar: suppliers that can deliver on reliability and transparency will win more business; those that cannot may be squeezed out.

Overall, the survey points to a pragmatic shift: retailers are willing to accept some extra cost for predictable service, and they see technology as a tool to cut variability rather than simply reduce headcount.

How the survey was run, its limits, and useful follow-ups

TrendCandy handled fieldwork and sampling; the report covers 250 senior supply chain respondents across retail sectors. The sample size and respondent seniority make the findings useful for spotting industry trends, but the survey is not a statistically representative census of all retailers. It emphasizes plans and intentions — actual spending and results will depend on budgets and execution next year. The full PR Newswire release summarizes the data and includes additional quotes. Useful next stories to follow this would include vendor reaction, regional breakdowns, and case studies of retailers who pilot the new network designs.

Photo: Norma Mortenson / Pexels

Sources

• prnewswire.com