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Cegid Retail refines its approach to the challenges of artificial intelligence for commerce

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Cegid Retail refines its approach to the challenges of artificial intelligence for commerce


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September 14, 2025

Last year, Lyon-based management solutions specialist Cegid announced that it was bringing its Forward 2026 development strategy into line with generative artificial intelligence. Renamed Forward.ia, the development program continues, in particular for the Cegid Retail division, which is stepping up deployment and experimentation of retail solutions, while taking care not to fall into the trap of multiplying useless generative tools.

Cegid

“Our approach has always been to make innovation useful and not to create gas factories that serve no one,” Nathalie Echinard, general manager of the retail division, tells FashionNetwork.com. “Nevertheless, we know that AI and generative AI will transform the business, both for our team internally and for our customers.”

Last year’s biennial Cegid Connections Retail event in Rome featured eight AI use cases anticipating the needs of commerce to 2030. Four have since been delivered. Starting with an enhancement to the Livestore checkout solution. This now enables a sales assistant to interact with customers with whom they do not share a common language, via a split screen.

The Cegid Retail Store Excellence tool, used for communication between a head office and its store network, has also been enhanced. “It can now translate and send messages to each store, for example to explain a new collection, in the case of fashion brands”, explained Echinard. The manager also points out that AI can now directly generate message bases or visuals to guide sales teams.

In the apparel business, these teams are subject to high turnover and have no time for training. In the past, Cegid has responded to this need with simplified dashboards that are easy to learn. But AI now enables the salesperson to exchange directly with the system verbally to explain their problem, so as to be guided through the task.

“We’re gradually moving towards an augmented sales assistant,” explained Echinard. “Augmented vis-à-vis the customer, but also in terms of efficiency and time optimization. Applications will help them to choose their priorities according to what’s happening in the store, but above all to navigate from one task to another without really realizing it.”

Nathalie Echinard
Nathalie Echinard – Cegid

Personalization has not been forgotten. A tool, presented last year to Cegid’s partners, is currently being developed based on customer data and product recommendation learning. AI will reinforce the Livestore tool by helping the sales assistant to identify the needs of existing tastes and customers.

“This takes the form of a 6-8 word cloud that gives maximum information in a short space of time to the salesperson. After all, no one wants a sales assistant who remains immersed in the tablet”, explained the Cegid Retail manager.

A manager who also bears witness to the growing demands of brands in terms of security. Security breaches, cyber-attacks and data ransomware are on everyone’s mind. “When our customers are major players in the luxury goods and CAC40 sectors, we take this very seriously”, sais Echinard. She points out that, by contract, security updates are the only ones Cegid can launch to warn its customers.

“And, given what’s at stake, no brand has a problem with that,” said Echinard.

After the NRF (formerly Paris Retail Week) trade show, to be held in Paris from September 16 to 18, she will be preparing the 2026 edition of Cegid Connections Retail, to be held in Prague in the spring. Perhaps by then, the market will have taken a more rational look at AI.

“The enthusiasm it generates needs to stabilize, and everyone needs to stop going off in all directions,” concluded Echinard. She is mindful of the Gartner study which, last June, estimated that 40% of AI tools in development could be abandoned by 2027.

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Gucci launches technical mountainwear line “Altitude” with Jannik Sinner

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Gucci launches technical mountainwear line “Altitude” with Jannik Sinner


Translated by

Nazia BIBI KEENOO

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October 30, 2025

Gucci, the Kering Group fashion house, is venturing into the world of technical winter sportswear with an exceptional athlete who began his journey as a young ski champion before rising to the top of global tennis. Fittingly, Jannik Sinner will serve as the global brand ambassador for Gucci’s first technical mountainwear collection, titled “Altitude,” launching worldwide for Autumn/Winter 2025/26.

Sinner x Gucci

Drawing inspiration from the precision of technical snowwear and the Maison’s long-standing heritage in leisurewear, the men’s and women’s collection spans ready-to-wear, accessories, footwear, and a curated selection of high-performance equipment developed in partnership with HEAD. The range includes skis, poles, snowboards, sports bags, and helmets adorned with Gucci’s iconic Web stripe.

Blending advanced performance with the Maison’s signature design codes, the collection features innovative technical materials and cutting-edge construction. The pieces are crafted from breathable three-layer fabrics, feature water-repellent finishes, and include functional details such as ski pass pockets and touchscreen-compatible inner panels. Completing the range is a line of eyewear — including ski goggles and wraparound sunglasses — both prominently displaying the Gucci logo.

A womenswear look from the collection
A womenswear look from the collection

The result is a collection defined not by spectacle, but by precision, power, and poise — traits embodied by athlete Jannik Sinner, who has been aptly chosen as the global brand ambassador. “I have always loved the mountains, and this shoot took place in an absolutely incredible setting,” said Sinner. “Gucci always comes up with extraordinary ideas, but this one was truly magical and an experience I will never forget,” he added, speaking about the campaign set against striking alpine scenery.

The campaign positions “Altitude” as the perfect balance between performance and sophistication. Alpine wear is reimagined through a modern lens, with each piece designed to move seamlessly with its environment — marrying form, function, and elegance.

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Gold demand hit records as price soared: industry data

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Gold demand hit records as price soared: industry data


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AFP

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October 30, 2025

Demand for gold hit a record high in the third quarter as the the precious metal’s price hit all-time highs on geopolitical unrest, industry data showed Thursday.

AFP

Total demand grew three percent year-on-year in the July-September period to 1,313 tonnes, the World Gold Council said, as the metal perceived as a safe haven investment benefitted from the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Gaza conflict.

That was the highest level of demand by volume since the WGC began compiling such records around 25 years ago.

“Various regional conflicts, the increasing rhetoric around trade conflicts, all of that combines really to just create this atmosphere of heightened uncertainty” and boost demand for gold, WGC analyst Louise Street told AFP.

A surge in buying, driven by central banks, coincided with gold’s price striking record after record this year.

However since the metal struck an all-time peak in October of $4,381.52 an ounce, it has fallen heavily on profit taking.

Gold demand by value surged 44 percent year-on-year to a record $146 billion in the third quarter, the WGC added in its report.

The US government shutdown and expectations of more cuts to Federal Reserve interest rates, which is weighing on the dollar, have lent additional support to gold’s price in recent months according to analysts.

There has been strong demand for gold via Exchange-Traded Funds on stock markets. ETFs allow investment without trading on the gold futures market.

The high-price environment has, however, dampened jewellery demand, according to the WGC.

It dropped 23 percent to 419.2 tonnes in the July-September period, the lowest third quarter since 2020 when the Covid pandemic took hold around the world.

Street called gold’s recent retreat to around $4,000 an ounce “a healthy correction… that helps to wash out some of that more frothy, perhaps short-term speculative positioning”.

Copyright © 2025 AFP. All rights reserved. All information displayed in this section (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the contents of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presses.



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Spring Fair launches new fashion destination for 2026

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Spring Fair launches new fashion destination for 2026


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October 30, 2025

All set to “reimagine the fashion buying experience”, the launch of ‘Fashion at Spring Fair’ will happen at the NEC Birmingham from 1-4 February.

Image: Spring Fair

The launch “marks a homecoming for fashion” to deliver “the best in apparel, accessories, and jewellery under one inspiring roof”, organiser Hyve Group said.

Created in “direct response to buyer demand for a fashion-first experience”, event portfolio director Jackson Szabo said: “Fashion at Spring Fair represents a natural evolution in how we bring style, creativity, and commerce together for the UK fashion retail sector. 

“We’ve listened closely to buyers and exhibitors alike, and this new destination is designed to meet their needs. It’s not just a place to discover products; it’s where ideas evolve, collaborations form, and the next stories in fashion retail take shape.”

Buyers will discover “immersive spaces designed to bring fashion to life”, including The Style Atelier, a monochromatic studio hosting live trend forecasts, styling masterclasses, and curated showcases.

Meanwhile, the New Business Pavilion offers a dedicated stage for up-and-coming brands such as Nudie Jewellery, Artemis Muse, and Livia Betancourt, to give buyers first access to “fresh, trend-led collections”.

Alongside this will be a curated selection of standout brands, including Urban Bliss, Lighthouse Clothing, Nina Murati, Decollage, Isle & Stars, Luella, and Girl in Mind, to “highlight the very best in contemporary fashion”. 

Jewellery and watches will feature creations from Scream Pretty, Bill Skinner, Ayala Bar, and Peace of Mind, while fashion accessories and leather goods include Rock Luggage, Mala Leather, Ashwood Leather, Alice Wheeler, Pachamama, Yoshi and Eloise London.

Also part of Spring Fair 2026 is a new creative direction called ‘Retail Alchemists, Masters of the Mix’, bringing together “craft, creativity, commerce, and connection in a dedicated space”.

Copyright © 2025 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.



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