RELEX survey shows tariffs and inflation reshaping global supply chain strategies for 2026

New updates have been reported about RELEX Solutions.

RELEX Solutions is positioning itself at the center of supply chain decision-making with its 2026 State of the Supply Chain preview, which shows 86% of supply chain leaders already feeling the impact of tariffs and trade policy shifts on pricing, sourcing, and inventory. The findings, based on a January 2026 survey of 514 retail, manufacturing, wholesale, and supply chain executives, underscore rising demand for AI-enabled planning tools that can manage inflation, cost volatility, and geopolitical risk.

The data highlights that more than half of respondents have raised consumer prices to offset higher costs, while others are restructuring supply chains, delaying investments, or shifting sourcing away from affected countries, trends that directly expand the relevance of RELEX’s AI-native planning platform. Executives are split between building strategic stockpiles and reverting to leaner inventory models, with retailers leaning heavily on promotions and private-label expansion to protect margins and manufacturers increasingly passing through input costs, adjusting SKUs, and diversifying suppliers.

Against this backdrop, resilience is emerging as a core strategic theme, with 59% of companies strengthening logistics partnerships, 37% broadening supplier bases, and 28% increasing safety stock, all areas where RELEX’s scenario planning, dynamic allocation, and supplier optionality capabilities are directly applicable. The report suggests that global disruptions will remain the primary challenge over the next three years, yet 77% of leaders are at least cautiously optimistic about their ability to adapt through more sophisticated pricing, sourcing, and inventory strategies.

Laurence Brenig-Jones, VP of Product Strategy at RELEX Solutions, emphasizes that fast-moving trade policy shifts are forcing companies to adjust in near real time, reinforcing the need for AI-led tools that can simulate trade-offs under uncertainty. The full report, due in late March, is likely to guide technology investment priorities and could support further commercial momentum for RELEX as retailers, manufacturers, and wholesalers seek integrated platforms to protect availability, margins, and cash flow in a structurally volatile environment.