For years, retailers have been hyper-focused on the customer experience. But now they have to turn their attention to a number of changes that are causing significant upheaval in the retail industry: Digital Product Passports increasing transparency requirements; agentic commerce changing how products are discovered and purchased; AI reshaping operations; and geopolitical, economic and climate-related factors meaning retailers have to act quickly.
These developments are all dependent on one factor: the fact that trusted product information is becoming a competitive differentiator. A GS1 consumer survey found 77% of consumers say product information matters when buying; 79% are more likely to purchase a product with a scannable QR code offering more detail, and 62% will pay more for richer information.
The cost of getting product information wrong is real. Syndigo’s 2024 “State of Product Content” study found 83% of global shoppers would switch retailers when information is lacking, and half had abandoned a purchase entirely for the same reason. Product information now shapes customer choice, brand trust and retailers’ revenue flow: once a back-office concern, it’s now a boardroom discussion topic.
As this strategic challenge grows, retailers have to serve two audiences at once: consumers want richer, transparent product experiences; and AI agents need structured, trusted and contextualised data to make comparisons and recommendations for consumers.
Yet organisations are still trying to manage product information across disconnected systems, processes and suppliers. That is turning inefficiency into a growing strategic risk. Actively managing the product lifecycle is becoming a leadership priority, and the window for retailers to act on this imperative is narrowing.
Four shifts are propelling this issue from important to urgent, and most retailers are less prepared than they think.
1. Product complexity is proliferating
Retailers are managing more products, suppliers, channels and variants than ever, while geopolitical tensions, climate events and supply chain disruptions are forcing faster reassessment of sourcing capabilities. Being able to respond accurately requires full product lifecycle visibility.
2. Regulation is transforming product data into evidence
Product information was once a commercial asset; that era is coming to an end. Regulators are turning it into evidence: proof of origin, materials, environmental impact and compliance. The EU’s Digital Product Passport is a classic example, requiring verifiable product data, starting with batteries in February 2027 and expanding to other categories after. Preparing for an increase in the complexity of product data attributes is becoming key to being compliant.
3. Agentic commerce is changing product discovery
AI agents do not browse the way consumers do. Tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini skip the product page, querying structured data feeds for price, materials and availability. Retailers whose product data is not structured and contextualised are at risk of becoming invisible to these agents, regardless of how good their website looks.
4. AI is exposing weaknesses in data foundations
Many see AI as the answer, but Gartner research shows organisations with successful AI initiatives invest significantly more in data quality, governance and foundational capabilities than those struggling to generate value. AI readiness starts with data- and organisational readiness.
Together, these developments point to one requirement: product data that is accurate, connected and trusted across the entire lifecycle. Although most retailers have invested heavily in ERP (enterprise resource planning), PIM (product information management), MDM (master data management) and analytics platforms, the same challenges persist:
- Delayed product launches
- Inconsistent product information
- Compliance and traceability challenges
- Repeated supplier data requests
- AI initiatives struggling with data quality
This is why product lifecycle management (PLM) is moving up the retail agenda, not as another system implementation, but as the capability that connects products, suppliers, data and processes across the lifecycle.
The question every retail executive should ask
If product data now influences customer choice, regulatory compliance and agentic commerce, PLM is no longer operational: it is strategic. The real question is whether your product data can withstand scrutiny from regulators, AI agents and customers alike. Retailers should be able to answer yes to be best placed to handle disruption, scale AI and compete in a transparent market.
Next in the Retail Radar series
How mature is your product lifecycle capability?
In our upcoming webinar, Valcon will do a deepdive into the four shifts impacting the product lifecycle and show how revitalised product lifecycle management can be the answer.
Get in touch
Want to understand what this means for your organisation? Teun Godschalk and Iris Peters help retailers turn product information from a hidden operational challenge into a strategic advantage, building the foundations needed for compliance, AI readiness and growth. Get in touch to discuss how ready your product lifecycle really is.
Contact
Associate Partner | Data
Teun Godschalk
+31 6 1326 6760
Manager | Consulting
Iris Peters
+31 6 3048 4230
