London, 24 June 2026 | dunnhumby has today unveiled fresh research with new predictions on how retailer and brand collaboration will change for the agentic commerce era.
The predictions − shared in a keynote address at the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit in Austria by dunnhumby CEO, Josh Bottomley – are in response to the forces reshaping retail and grocery, placing shared growth and a winning mindset at the centre of a new model of collaboration.
As artificial intelligence becomes a foundational capability, requiring both retailers and brands to rethink operating models and partnerships, the predictions show how traditional joint planning cycle collaboration will be replaced by continuous, data-driven and outcome-focused ways of working.
The ten retailer-brand collaboration predictions are centred on three pillars and come from research conducted by dunnhumby across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific regions with 50 retailer and brand leaders and experts surveyed:
Setting up together:
Continuous joint business planning
Automated analytics and data transparency
Sustainability & health embedded in execution
Working together:
Buyers to orchestrate total category value alongside supplier partners
Win together mindset
Integrated customer processes
Omnichannel planning and execution
Winning together:
Performance-led investments
Retail media as an integrated investment
Collaboration beyond categories
In an always on AI-driven, multi-lever model, the forces driving change for retailers and brands are structural, immediate and irreversible. Given this, dunnhumby advises several ‘no regret’ moves that retailers and brands can make now:
Establish one customer truth across all plans, never losing sight of how they land and show-up together
Create multi-year joint growth plans; from activity and execution to aligned growth targets
Bring customer, category and media planning as close together as possible
Customer-first connected omni-channel platform to make the 'funnel' bi-directional
Strengthen operating model, cascading shared OKRs across previously siloed functions & teams
The research and predictions from dunnhumby show that greater emphasis on shared data, aligned incentives and coordinated execution will be key with competitive advantage depending less on access to data and more on the ability to act on it collaboratively.
About dunnhumby
The science of serving every customer. Together. At scale.
As the essential intelligence layer connecting the world’s leading retailers and brands dunnhumby helps businesses grow through faster, better decision making.
Sitting at the intersection of loyalty, media, and category management, dunnhumby helps to navigate complex and competing priorities. Combining AI-enabled science, software, and trusted advice, together with over 35 years of dedicated retail experience, dunnhumby is recognised as a leader in connecting customer insight and action to build loyalty, drive performance, and deliver results that last.
With offices in locations across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, dunnhumby works with iconic retailers and brands including Tesco, Walmart Data Ventures, Coca-Cola, Meijer, Procter & Gamble, and L’Oréal, to make smarter decisions today and tomorrow.
