Digital Wave Technology CEO Lori Schafer Explores How Agentic AI Can Strengthen Outdoor Retail Operations
- Lori Schafer
- Jul 28
- 1 min read
In a new article for Inside Outdoor, Digital Wave Technology CEO Lori Schafer examines how outdoor retailers can use data-driven agentic AI to improve operational efficiency, respond to seasonal volatility, and protect margins.
Outdoor retailers face a particularly complex operating environment, with unpredictable weather, short selling seasons, technical product assortments, and inconsistent vendor data. At the same time, consumers are purchasing more selectively, making precise inventory, pricing, and assortment decisions increasingly important.
Schafer explains that successful agentic AI begins with complete, enriched, and governed data. With that foundation in place, AI agents can help merchandising teams:
Monitor sell-through, weather patterns, and regional demand
Identify emerging overstocks and recommend inventory transfers
Improve markdown and promotional decisions
Detect missing or inconsistent vendor product information
Place the right inventory in the right markets
Digital Wave Technology CEO Lori Schafer Explores How Agentic AI Can Strengthen Outdoor Retail Operations
The article also emphasizes that outdoor retailers do not need to undertake a multiyear technology overhaul to get started. They can begin by strengthening their data foundation and introducing agentic tools in targeted areas where better information and faster decisions can deliver measurable value.
“When agentic AI helps teams anticipate seasonal shifts, improve product information, and place the right inventory in the right markets, outdoor retailers can respond faster without giving up human judgment,” Schafer writes.
