New Research from IHL Group and Brain Corp Reveals Two-Thirds of Major U.S. Retailers Face Shelf Issues Eroding Retailer–Brand Trust

Global retail research and advisory firm IHL Group, in partnership with Brain Corp, the autonomous technology company creating transformative solutions in robotics and AI, today released The Shelf Intelligence Report: Rebuilding Retail Relationships Through Automation. The study reveals how persistent inventory inaccuracy is undermining one of retail’s most critical assets: the trust between retailers and the consumer brands that fill their shelves.

Surveying executives representing more than 200 of the largest and fastest-growing U.S. retailers across grocery, drug, hard goods, and department stores, the research reveals that retail’s $1.7 trillion inventory distortion problem runs deeper than lost sales. It’s eroding trust between retailers, consumer brands, and shoppers alike.

Where retailers are struggling:

• 67% of retailers report daily or weekly relationship challenges with consumer brands due to inventory inaccuracy.
• 47% say their inventory inaccuracies have led to reduced engagements with consumer brands.
• The largest retailers (over $5B in annual revenue) are 87% more likely to identify strained brand relationships as a major consequence of inventory inaccuracies.
• Fewer than 1 in 4 retailers achieve 80%+ accuracy in key shelf metrics such as on-shelf availability, planogram compliance, and promotional execution. 
• 50% report lost sales and 47% cite customer dissatisfaction as a result of inventory execution failures.

“Retail doesn’t just have an operations problem when it comes to inventory, it has a trust problem,” said Greg Buzek, President of IHL Group. “Our research shows that many retailers still lack a clear, consistent view of on-shelf conditions. That visibility gap undermines confidence across the value chain, including the trust consumer brands place in retail partners.”

How retailers plan to fix it:

The research highlights a growing consensus around automation as the most effective remedy:

• ​​Robotics ranks as the #1 solution to improve inventory accuracy, ahead of handheld RFID, mobile image capture, fixed cameras, or barcode scanners.
• 72% of retailers are ready to deploy in-store robots, with 60% already planning deployment by the end of 2027.
• ​​67% of retailers prefer not to own or manage an inventory scanning robot themselves, signaling a shift toward flexibility and scalability in how automation is adopted. 

The study suggests that retailers are increasingly looking for continuous, verified shelf intelligence that doesn’t depend on adding operational lift and upfront capital investments. As a result, managed automation models are gaining ground: services that own and operate robots to deliver reliable shelf data, marking a shift toward more adaptive, insight-driven retail operations.

“Few areas in retail have a bigger impact on profitability, customer experience, and brand trust than accurate inventory data,” said David Pinn, CEO of Brain Corp. “IHL’s research underscores that retailers are eager to use robots to enhance inventory accuracy and shelf execution, but prefer adoption models that eliminate the need to own, operate, or maintain the robots themselves. This mirrors what we’ve heard from retail partners like Winn Dixie, and it’s why we’ve partnered with Driveline to create ShelfOptix™ to deliver robot-powered shelf intelligence through the simplicity of a fully managed service.”

Availability

The Shelf Intelligence Report: Rebuilding Retail Relationships Through Automation is available for free download at https://bit.ly/4qPCsi7

About IHL Group

IHL Group is a global research and advisory firm for the retail and hospitality industries, headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee. Through its research and data services, they provide the technology insight that companies need to effectively compete in a global market. IHL Group’s unique ClearSight AI process allows companies to prioritize which use cases will drive the most value for AI adoption before wasting money on non-viable tools and vendors.

For more information, visit ihlservices.com. 

About Brain Corp

Brain Corp is the global leader in robotic AI software that powers the world’s largest fleet of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) operating in commercial public spaces, with more than 40,000 AMRs deployed worldwide. Global OEM partners use the company’s cloud-connected platform, BrainOS®, to create scalable, self-driving robots that clean floors, move inventory, and sense environmental data, turning manual operations into automated workflows. More Fortune 500 brands and retailers trust BrainOS®-powered robots to scale automation safely and securely than any other robotics platform.

For more information, visit www.braincorp.com.