Neither AI nor procurement, but rather cost control, is expected to dominate the roadmaps of CIOs (chief information officers) in the fashion and luxury sector, according to a study by ERP specialist Deda Stealth, which points to a business climate darkened by geopolitical instability and the threat of new US tariffs.

Executives from around a hundred companies were interviewed for this study, which maps the hierarchy of priorities perceived by CIOs for 2026. Unsurprisingly, cost reduction tops the list for 57.4% of decision-makers surveyed, narrowly ahead of improving omni-channel strategies (51.9%) and sustainability and traceability initiatives (46.3%).

With budgets under close scrutiny, investment is concentrating on specific performance levers. The Data & Analytics segment commands the attention of 63% of respondents, ahead of artificial intelligence (51.9%) and cyber security (48.1%).

However, the study highlights a marked gap between strategic expectations and operational reality, particularly across the supply chain. While finished-goods logistics is deemed crucial (importance score of 9/10), CIO satisfaction hovers at 6-7/10.

The weakest link remains supplier collaboration: although rated critical, it records a mediocre satisfaction score (4-5/10), revealing sluggish upstream information flows.

The picture is similar in retail. Although the store is viewed as a space for “identity expression,” management tools are struggling to keep pace. Order orchestration and returns management- long-standing pain points in e-commerce- are considered highly strategic (with importance scores just under 8.5/10) yet post satisfaction levels below 6/10.

AI still at the experimental stage

In the face of these challenges, and amid mounting regulatory pressure (digital product passports, CSRD, etc.), artificial intelligence is emerging as a potential answer, but deployment remains tentative. Only 3.7% of companies surveyed report having deployed AI at scale. For one third of the panel, the technology is still in development, while 27.8% anticipate deployment within two years.

This slow start is partly explained by a shortage of talent. Half of companies report a “moderate to significant” skills gap in key roles such as data architecture and cloud engineering. “This is accelerating brands’ digitalisation: data, AI, and supply chain optimisation are becoming indispensable levers for maintaining performance,” concludes Luca Tonello, CEO of Deda Stealth.