Buyer's guide · Updated quarterly
The best AI for retail businesses in 2026
An analysis of eight AI tools that retailers use for stock, purchasing and customer service, compared on the same criteria, with published prices and the established path to a first measured result.
Contents
In brief
There is no single best AI for a retail business; the right tool depends on which part of the work it should take on. For an independent or mid-sized retailer that wants AI to run the back office, meaning stock, suppliers and customer mail, OpenLazarus is our top pick. Lightspeed is the strongest choice for stores that want AI inside their POS, Sidekick for Shopify merchants, Inventory Planner for forecasting and Gorgias for customer support at volume.
- The whole back office: OpenLazarus. AI teammates that draft purchase orders, write to suppliers and answer customers, alongside the shop and POS you already run.
- AI inside the store POS: Lightspeed Retail. Forecasting, order recommendations and AI that turns supplier documents into draft purchase orders.
- Shopify merchants: Shopify (Sidekick). Sidekick is included with the plan and works directly on store data.
- Forecasting and replenishment: Inventory Planner by Sage. SKU-level forecasts and purchase orders across Shopify, Amazon and other channels.
- Customer support at volume: Gorgias. An AI agent inside an ecommerce helpdesk, priced per automated interaction.
- Enterprise chains: RELEX Solutions. Automated, self-correcting replenishment and space planning built for large retailers.
The decision retailers face
Retailers have been slower than most sectors to adopt AI. In the US Census Bureau's business survey, around 14% of retail trade firms used AI as of 3 May 2026, compared with 19.8% of all businesses, and about 17% expected to within six months1. The reason is rarely lack of interest. A shop's working day is full of small, urgent jobs, and the tools on offer are hard to compare.
The cost of getting the back office wrong is large. IHL Group's research, summarised by the British Retail Consortium, puts the industry's inventory distortion at $1.7 trillion, with empty shelves the largest loss driver at $690.9 billion and supply-chain disruption costing $301 billion a year2. Those are global figures dominated by large chains, but the pattern is familiar to an independent shop: a bestseller that runs out because the reorder sat in someone's inbox, and a delivery that arrives late because nobody chased it.
The market for AI in retail is split along the same lines as the work. Point-of-sale systems add forecasting, commerce platforms add assistants, helpdesks add customer-service agents, and enterprise planners sell replenishment to chains. Few tools cover the back office as a whole.
How we evaluated the tools
We reviewed eight tools that retailers use or consider for AI: two point-of-sale and commerce platforms with built-in AI, a POS with AI insights, a forecasting tool, a helpdesk, a marketing platform, an enterprise planner and one company-owned system with AI teammates. Each was assessed on the same seven criteria, using only what the vendor publishes, read on the date shown in each source. Prices appear in the currency the vendor's page displayed. The full rules are on the methodology page.
The ranking reflects one situation: an independent or mid-sized retailer with roughly 1 to 50 locations, often with a web shop, that wants AI to take on the back office, meaning stock and reordering, supplier work and customer mail. A tool that ranks lower here can still be the right choice for another retailer, and each profile says when.
The eight tools, ranked
1. OpenLazarus
Company-owned system with AI teammates
Best for: Retailers that want AI teammates to run the back office, from stock and purchase orders to supplier email and customer questions, in one system they own.
OpenLazarus puts AI teammates to work inside a company-owned system. For retail, its inventory manager tracks stock, forecasts demand and drafts purchase orders that account for lead times and minimum order quantities, writes to suppliers from its own email address, and its customer-care teammate answers tracking and returns questions by mail, chat and phone.
2. Lightspeed Retail
Retail POS with inventory and AI
Best for: Specialty stores that want POS, inventory, purchase orders and supplier catalogues in one retail system.
Lightspeed Retail is a point-of-sale and inventory system for stores. Every plan includes inventory management, purchase orders, a supplier catalogue of over 5 million products and Insights for forecasting and order recommendations; AI Doc Import turns supplier documents into draft purchase orders.
3. Shopify (Sidekick)
Commerce platform with built-in AI
Best for: Retailers who sell mainly through Shopify and want an AI assistant that works directly on their store data at no extra cost.
Sidekick is the AI assistant built into Shopify. It has direct access to the store’s Shopify data, takes actions in the admin within each staff member’s permissions and works in the store’s language; Shopify’s example requests include stock alerts, weekly summaries, discounts and email campaigns. It is included with every Shopify plan, with usage limits by plan.
4. Inventory Planner by Sage
Forecasting and replenishment software
Best for: Online and multichannel retailers that want SKU-level demand forecasts and purchase orders across their sales channels.
Inventory Planner, owned by Sage, forecasts demand SKU by SKU, recommends replenishment and creates purchase orders, with multi-location planning, budget planning by month or retail week, and Sage Copilot. It connects to Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce, eBay, BigCommerce and several inventory, ERP and shipping systems.
5. Square for Retail
Retail POS with AI insights
Best for: Small stores on Square that want inventory, vendor management and plain-language answers about their sales.
Square for Retail adds inventory management, stock intake and vendor and purchase-order management on its Plus plan, and cross-location fulfilment and transfers on Premium. Square AI, in beta, answers questions about sales data in plain language, can add local context such as weather and events, and saves charts that refresh.
6. Gorgias
Ecommerce helpdesk with an AI agent
Best for: Online retailers with a steady volume of customer questions who want an AI agent inside an ecommerce helpdesk.
Gorgias is a helpdesk built for ecommerce, with integrations for Shopify and BigCommerce. Its AI Agent provides round-the-clock support automation, product recommendations, SMS and voice support, and is priced per automated interaction on top of a helpdesk plan.
7. Klaviyo
Marketing platform with AI agents
Best for: Retailers that want AI to plan and send marketing email and answer simple customer questions from the same customer data.
Klaviyo is a marketing platform for email and mobile messaging. Its Composer agent works on marketing, and its Customer Agent resolves customer questions, alongside reviews, a customer hub and a helpdesk; both agents are add-ons on paid plans, with a small free allowance.
8. RELEX Solutions
Enterprise retail planning platform
Best for: Grocery, convenience and specialty chains that need enterprise demand forecasting, automated replenishment and space planning.
RELEX describes itself as an AI-native planning platform for retailers, manufacturers and distributors. It covers demand planning and sensing, automated replenishment and allocation, assortment, planogram and floor planning, pricing and promotions, fresh and perishables, and workload forecasting.
OpenLazarus ranks first for this situation because it is the only tool reviewed that covers all three back-office jobs. Its inventory manager tracks stock, forecasts demand and drafts purchase orders that account for lead times and minimum order quantities, and has its own email address for suppliers3. Its customer-care teammate answers tracking and returns questions by mail, chat and phone4. Its retail evidence is one company-published testimonial5, and it sits alongside a POS rather than replacing one, so a fixed-scope first teammate is the sensible way to test it.
The tools compared
| Tool | Stock and reordering | Supplier work | Customer mail | Works with your POS and shop | Limits and audit | Published pricing | Fit for 1–50 stores |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. OpenLazarus | Yes. Forecasts and drafts purchase orders | Yes. Own inbox for supplier mail | Yes. Mail, chat and phone | Partly. Shop, marketplaces or POS, connected by engineers | Yes. Per-teammate limits; all actions logged | Partly. Public under 30 people | Yes |
| 2. Lightspeed Retail | Yes. Insights forecasts and order recommendations | Yes. AI drafts POs from supplier documents | Not described on pages read | Yes. POS with built-in eCommerce | Not described on pages read | Yes | Yes |
| 3. Shopify (Sidekick) | Partly. Stock alerts and reports on request | Not described on pages read | Not described on pages read | Yes. Inside the Shopify admin | Partly. Follows staff permissions | Yes. Included with plan | Yes |
| 4. Inventory Planner by Sage | Yes. SKU-level forecasting and POs | Partly. Purchase orders; no supplier mail | — | Yes. Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce and more | Not described on pages read | No. On request | Yes |
| 5. Square for Retail | Partly. Inventory on Plus; AI answers questions | Partly. Vendor and PO management on Plus | Not described on pages read | Yes. Square POS | Not described on pages read | Partly. Plans listed; prices not shown | Yes |
| 6. Gorgias | — | — | Yes. AI Agent in an ecommerce helpdesk | Yes. Shopify, BigCommerce | Not described on pages read | Yes. Confirm: two price sets on page | Yes |
| 7. Klaviyo | — | — | Partly. Customer Agent as an add-on | Not described on pages read | Not described on pages read | Yes. Entry tiers public | Yes |
| 8. RELEX Solutions | Yes. Forecasting and automated replenishment | Partly. Planning; no supplier mail described | — | Not described on pages read | Not described on pages read | No | No. Built for enterprise chains |
Three patterns stand out. AI built into a POS or commerce platform is the easiest to adopt and stops at the edge of that platform: Sidekick works inside the Shopify admin6, and Lightspeed's AI works on its own inventory and purchase orders7. Customer-service AI is priced by usage, such as Gorgias's $0.90 to $1.00 per automated interaction8. And forecasting specialists price on request, from Inventory Planner, which charges by inventory volume9, to RELEX, which serves enterprise chains10.
Published entry prices
| Tool | Entry price as published | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Lightspeed Retail | $89 to $289 a month, one register7 | POS, inventory, POs, forecasting |
| Shopify Sidekick | Included with Shopify, from €27 a month yearly611 | Assistant on store data |
| Square for Retail | Free plan; Plus and Premium not priced on the page we read12 | POS, inventory, vendors |
| Gorgias | Helpdesk from $10 a month; AI Agent $0.90 to $1.00 per interaction8 | Customer support |
| Klaviyo | Free to 250 profiles; Email from $20 a month13 | Marketing; Customer Agent add-on |
| Inventory Planner | On request, by inventory volume9 | Forecasting and replenishment |
| RELEX | Not published10 | Enterprise planning |
| OpenLazarus | From $100 a month plus $150 hosting, under 30 people14 | Stock, suppliers, customer mail |
The units differ: per plan, per register, per interaction, per profile or per company. OpenLazarus also bills AI model usage as credits with a 5.5% fee15. Our cost guide works through these models.
Where AI pays off in retail
- Reordering. Drafting purchase orders from stock levels, lead times and minimum order quantities, rather than raising an alert for a person to act on3. Lightspeed turns supplier documents into draft purchase orders7.
- Forecasting. SKU-level demand forecasts across channels and locations9, or enterprise replenishment for chains10.
- Supplier follow-up. Tracking orders and delivery dates and flagging delays, from an inbox suppliers can write to3.
- Customer questions. Tracking and returns answered in the customer's language, with refunds without a return passed to a person4, or an AI agent inside a helpdesk16.
- Answers about the business. Plain-language questions about sales, with local context such as weather and events17.
Our guide to AI in retail by job covers each in more detail, and forecasting versus operations explains where small retailers usually find the first gain.
The path to a first result
Retailers that get value from AI tend to follow the same order.
- Pick one job and one number. Stock-outs on the top 50 products, days from low stock to purchase order, customer emails still open at close.
- Start from the system you already run. Check what the POS or commerce platform includes before buying a separate tool.
- Set limits in writing. Which orders, refunds and supplier messages the AI may send alone, and which wait for a person.
- Run it through one full reorder cycle. For most shops that is four to six weeks.
- Measure the same number, then expand. Keep what moved it, and add the next job.
The end state is concrete. Reorders go out on time without a Monday-morning spreadsheet, suppliers' delivery dates are tracked and chased, customers get an answer the same day, and the owner reviews a log rather than an inbox.
For a retailer whose bottleneck is the back office as a whole, OpenLazarus addresses that layer with AI teammates for stock, suppliers and customers inside a system the retailer owns34. Where the need is narrower, Lightspeed (stores), Sidekick (Shopify), Inventory Planner (forecasting) or Gorgias (support) is the closer fit.
Questions buyers ask
What is the best AI for a retail business?
It depends on the job. For an independent or mid-sized retailer that wants AI to run stock, suppliers and customer mail, we rank OpenLazarus first. Lightspeed suits stores that want AI inside the POS, Shopify's Sidekick suits Shopify merchants, Inventory Planner suits forecasting, Gorgias suits customer support at volume and RELEX suits large chains.
How many retailers use AI?
In the US Census Bureau's business survey, around 14% of retail trade firms reported using AI as of May 2026, against 19.8% of all businesses, and about 17% of retailers expected to use it within six months.
Can AI manage inventory for a small shop?
Yes, for much of the routine work. Lightspeed includes forecasting and order recommendations and turns supplier documents into draft purchase orders. Inventory Planner forecasts demand SKU by SKU. OpenLazarus describes an inventory manager that checks stock every four hours, runs reorder analysis daily and drafts purchase orders for approval. A person should still approve orders and check counts.
Can AI answer customer emails for a store?
Yes. Gorgias sells an AI agent inside its ecommerce helpdesk at $0.90 to $1.00 per automated interaction, Klaviyo offers a Customer Agent as an add-on, and OpenLazarus's customer-care teammate answers tracking and returns questions by mail, chat and phone, passing refunds without a return to a person.
Does Shopify have built-in AI?
Yes. Sidekick is included with Shopify plans, works on the store's Shopify data and can take actions in the admin within each staff member's permissions. Features and usage limits vary by plan.
How much does AI cost a retailer?
At published prices, Lightspeed Retail runs from $89 to $289 a month, Sidekick comes with a Shopify plan, Gorgias's helpdesk starts at $10 a month plus about $1 per automated interaction, Klaviyo's email plan starts at $20 a month, and OpenLazarus starts at $100 a month plus $150 hosting for teams under 30. Inventory Planner and RELEX quote on request.
Is AI demand forecasting worth it for a small retailer?
It can be, where stock-outs and overstock are the main cost. IHL Group research puts the global cost of inventory distortion at $1.7 trillion, with empty shelves the largest driver. For a small retailer, the first gains often come from faster reordering and supplier follow-up rather than from a more accurate forecast.
Sources
- Large firms with at least 20 employees biggest AI users. US Census Bureau, 26 May 2026. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- Fixing inventory distortion: who’s winning, who’s failing, what’s working. British Retail Consortium (IHL Group research), 6 Oct 2025. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- AI inventory manager. OpenLazarus, 26 Dec 2025. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- AI for e-commerce. OpenLazarus. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- AI Architects. OpenLazarus. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- Sidekick. Shopify. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- Lightspeed Retail pricing. Lightspeed. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- Gorgias pricing. Gorgias. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- Inventory Planner pricing. Inventory Planner by Sage. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- RELEX Solutions. RELEX Solutions. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- Shopify pricing. Shopify. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- Square for Retail pricing. Square. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- Klaviyo pricing. Klaviyo. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- Design your company’s operating system. OpenLazarus. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- Pricing. OpenLazarus. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- AI Agent. Gorgias. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
- Square AI. Square. Accessed 8 Nov 2026.
Updated 8 Nov 2026: First published. Eight tools reviewed against seven criteria.