First Insight, a Pittsburgh-based SaaS innovator founded in 2007 by CEO Greg Petro, has become a market leader in AI-powered predictive analytics for merchandising, assortment, and pricing. The company’s Agentic AI platform, fueled by machine learning, generative AI, and the proprietary “Voice of the Customer” (VoC) technology, enables retailers and brands worldwide, such as M&S, Gap, Kohl’s, Woolworths, Under Armour, and Family Dollar, to optimize every decision from design and assortment to pricing and markdowns. With its latest GenAI and human-computational modeling tools on display at NRF 2025, First Insight is redefining how real-time customer signals shape profitable retail strategies.
How First Insight Works
At its core, First Insight gathers Voice of the Customer data through targeted digital surveys, online engagement, and social media testing. The company’s AI models analyze this large-scale real-time consumer input—thousands of responses per product per region—and convert it into high-precision forecasts for demand, optimal pricing,…
market fit, and trend velocity. AI-driven Value Scores™ and margin mover algorithms surface the revenue and profit potential of every new product, letting merchants refine assortments and pricing before costly investments and markdowns.
According to CEO Greg Petro, “Our AI-powered platform transforms consumer data into profitable actions, enabling businesses to deliver on financial goals by delivering products, experiences, and promotions that truly align with what customers want”.
Retailer and Brand Benefits For brands and retailers, First Insight’s AI delivers several measurable advantages: Higher Margins and Sell-Through: First Insight’s clients report 3–8% improvements in margin and 30–50% faster sell-through versus historical averages, by eliminating poor-performing SKUs and accelerating bestsellers to market.
Pricing and Markdown Optimization: The Demand Curve and pricing simulation tools help avoid unnecessary markdowns and maximize initial price points for new launches. Inventory Efficiency and Reduced Waste: Insights enable tighter alignment between buy quantities and true customer demand, reducing overstocks and stockouts…
Discussion
0 Comments
No comments yet
Start the conversation
Share your take on this story and help shape the discussion.
Sign in to join the discussion.