Nutanix sees retail IT under pressure as store demands grow, budgets lag
NTNX•Nutanix’s retail IT analysis says in-store inefficiencies cost U.S. retailers 6.4% of gross sales in 2026, up from 4.5% in 2024, and recommends a common operating platform across stores, data centers and cloud infrastructure.
1. Retail IT challenges
The analysis estimates in-store inefficiencies cost U.S. retailers roughly $196 billion in 2026. Food retailers’ average profit margin was 2.1% in 2025, while more than 80% of retail sales still occur in physical stores.
2. Modernization approach
Nutanix recommends a common operating platform across stores, data centers and cloud infrastructure to reduce complexity and support AI. It suggests testing modernization in one store before expanding regionally, and says the share of sales made in physical stores strengthens the case for running selected AI workloads locally.
