Debenhams Group adopts AI for real-time pricing across brands

Debenhams Group has introduced artificial intelligence (AI) technology across its brands to automate product pricing and promotions in real time.

The news follows the retailer’s partnership with AI platform Peak to replace manual pricing with automated, data-driven processes. The rollout will cover thousands of stock keeping units (SKUs) across its portfolio.

According to the company, the technology enables faster responses to shifts in demand, seasonal changes and stock levels. It said the move will help improve margin protection, reduce surplus inventory and offer more competitive pricing.

In addition, the new system will allow discounts to be tailored to the performance of individual products, rather than relying on broad promotions. The change is aimed at improving customer satisfaction and boosting operational efficiency. 

Hours previously spent managing spreadsheets are now focused on strategy and planning, the retailer said, admitting that manual discounting had often led to reactive and inefficient markdown cycles.

Dan Finley, chief executive of Debenhams Group, said: “With this technology, we’ve fundamentally changed how we approach pricing. AI gives us the ability to make smarter decisions at speed, ensuring our promotions deliver the best value for our growing customer base and driving both business performance as well as the customer experience.”

Richard Potter, chief executive of Peak, added: “This project illustrates how retailers can harness AI to enhance – not replace – human capability. This implementation has turned a pricing bottleneck into a competitive advantage and set a new benchmark for tech-led retail transformation.

“Our work with Debenhams Group demonstrates the power of AI to drive real commercial outcomes, not just through automation, but by enabling smarter, faster decision-making.”