How data-led intelligence can help apparel manufacturers and retailers adapt faster to changing consumer behaviour

Not long ago, the idea of data-led intelligence forecasting India’s future purchases might have sounded futuristic. Today, it marks a real shift in the country’s retail and industrial landscape. India’s burgeoning consumer sector, spanning both e-commerce platforms and bustling bazaars, generates enormous volumes of data on tastes and purchasing patterns. AI systems can detect patterns in this data that humans might miss, ushering in a new era where manufacturers adjust production more quickly and retailers forecast demand with far greater accuracy.

Anticipating the Indian consumer’s needs

AI is already helping retail businesses to understand the complex buying patterns of India’s diverse population. To predict demand, big box chains such as Reliance Retail and e-commerce leaders like Flipkart use machine learning algorithms to analyse historical sales, search patterns and even social media conversations. For apparel retailers, this means identifying preferred ...