1. THE FASHION, RETAIL, AND FMCG (FAST-MOVING CONSUMER GOODS) SECTORS FACE COMPLEXITIES RELATED TO DIGITALIZATION, ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY, AND THE GROWING DEMAND FOR SUSTAINABILITY - NOT TO MENTION THE “PHYGITAL” CHALLENGE THAT COMPANIES IN THESE INDUSTRIES CANNOT IGNORE. WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT CAN WE PROVIDE TO HELP OUR CLIENTS TACKLE ALL THIS?

The Fashion, Retail, and FMCG industries are undergoing an unprecedented evolution. Digitalization, economic uncertainty, sustainability, and the “phygital” challenge are reshaping the way brands engage with their customers. It’s not just about adopting new technologies, it’s about rethinking the entire experience, making it more connected, transparent, and personalized.

At Engineering, we believe that every change is an opportunity to innovate. That’s why we guide companies through a path that combines technology and creativity: from omnichannel strategies that place the customer at the center, to the use of AI and analytics for smarter decision-making, to blockchain to ensure traceability and sustainability. All of this is supported by cloud solutions and advanced, secure, and resilient infrastructures, as well as a continuous innovation approach that embraces AR/VR, IoT, and generative AI.

The future is already here: integrated experiences, transparent supply chains, and brands capable of creating value beyond the product while finding levers to optimize costs and services. At Engineering, we are the right partner to support clients through this transformation.

3. HOW ARE COMPANIES LEVERAGING THE CLOUD TO BUILD MORE EFFECTIVE BUSINESS MODELS?

Today, Fashion, Retail, and FMCG companies are leveraging the cloud not only to migrate infrastructures but also to reinvent their business models. The cloud enables rapid deployment and scaling of new solutions, integration of physical and digital channels, management of massive volumes of data, and the enablement of innovative services such as AI, advanced analytics, and omnichannel platforms.

Thanks to the cloud, brands can optimize the supply chain, personalize customer experience in real time, and reduce initial investments and, if well managed, operational costs, while maintaining security and resilience. It forms the foundation for building open, flexible, and sustainable ecosystems.

At Engineering, we support this journey with end-to-end solutions: from infrastructure and application migration and modernization to multi-cloud and FinOps management, to the integration of AI, IoT, and blockchain to create phygital experiences and transparent supply chains. It’s not just about technology, it’s about accelerating innovation and generating value.

5. LOOKING AHEAD, WHAT ARE THE MAIN OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FASHION, RETAIL, AND FMCG PLAYERS WILL FACE IN THE NEXT 3-5 YEARS?

Over the next 3-5 years, Fashion, Retail, and FMCG will face a crossroads: innovate or fall behind. The opportunities are enormous: leveraging AI for forecasting and personalization, integrating phygital experiences to combine physical and digital channels, adopting cloud-based business models for scalability and resilience, and embracing sustainability as a competitive lever through traceability and circularity.

But the challenges are equally demanding: shrinking margins, global competitive pressure, stringent ESG regulations, uncertain socio-political contexts, and the need to train people and processes for a data-driven world.

Key challenges include managing supply chain complexity, the need for extreme personalization, and traceability, while opportunities lie in the strategic use of data to drive customer loyalty and in operational optimization.

Turning complexity into opportunity requires end-to-end solutions: omnichannel platforms, AI and analytics for smarter decision-making, blockchain for transparent supply chains, secure and resilient cloud infrastructures, and innovation labs to experiment with Digital Twin, XR, and IoT. It’s not just about technology; it’s about guiding and supporting companies in defining their strategic transformation choices.