What IT strategy should fashion and luxury companies adopt in 2026?

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.