It's time to focus on the skills AI can't replace 🤖
Everyone is talking about AI in Category Management.
Our team were at the IGD Future of Category Management conference recently, and it came up again and again. Everyone agrees that AI will be brilliant at the data-crunching side of things - the sorting, the spotting, the speed.
But, maybe what isn’t getting said enough: AI can hand you the numbers, but it can't really tell you what they mean for your category, your retailer, or your shopper. That is still up to humans!
Many businesses investing in AI will be looking at it as a way to save money, and that often means looking at headcount. If what you bring to the table is number crunching, that's exactly what AI is being used to replace. The way to stay valuable is to show that you can do what AI can’t.
So what should you be focusing on instead?
Here are 5 skills that matter more than ever.
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1. Understand the foundations
You can't think critically about something you don't understand at a basic level.
Knowing how categories actually grow and what good looks like for shopper, retailer and supplier is the foundation. Overlooking this means that even the sharpest AI output is just noise.
2. Critical thinking
A number on a page doesn't tell you why it matters. Is that dip a blip, a trend, or a red flag? Should you act now or wait and watch? AI can flag the ‘what’, but you're still needed for the ‘so what’.
3. Knowing how things really work
The best insight in the world is useless if you don't know how to land it. Understanding how decisions actually get made, and where your input fits, is what turns analysis into action.
4. Storytelling
Data doesn't sell itself. The category managers who get buy-in are the ones who can turn a chart into a story that people remember and then act on, not just another slide they nod along to!
5. Influencing
Even the best recommendation goes nowhere without the right relationships and a bit of persuasion. Knowing your stuff is only half the job. Getting others on board with it is the other half.
The takeaway
AI isn't replacing category managers, but it is raising the bar on what good judgement looks like. It’s worth asking the question now, is what you’re doing today where you will add the most value in the future?
Want to learn more? Our Category Management Bootcamp starts with core principles in Week 1. Get the fundamentals solid first, and everything else (including AI) becomes a lot more useful.
Starting Thursday 3rd September 2026, running weekly online from 10am to 12pm, kicking off with the core principles that everything else builds on.
Got questions about whether it's right for you or your team? Just get in touch, I'm always happy to chat it through.
See how strong your category skills are with our 5-minute self-assessment quiz.
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July 2026