More Margin, Less Hassle: Markmi’s AI Assistant Optimizes Fashion Markdowns for Better Results
Credits: Markmi Markdowns are an unavoidable part of fashion retail, but they’re also one of the biggest cost drivers. Discounting too soon means unnecessary margin loss, while waiting too long leads to excess inventory. Many fashion retailers are still stuck in time-consuming spreadsheets, with merchandising teams spending hours manually analyzing data in bulky files, debating over unreliable sales forecasts, and ultimately making decisions based on gut feeling. Meanwhile, revenue opportunities slip away, and margins shrink unnecessarily. This is where Markmi makes a difference. As an AI-powered markdown assistant designed specifically for fashion retail, it helps brands and retailers make markdown decisions faster, smarter, and with better results. By enabling teams to react quickly to changing sales dynamics, Markmi customers—including C&A, G-Star, Zizzi, and Torfs—achieve measurable improvements. They not only gain more control over their markdowns but also see a clear financial impact: up to 10% higher sales and 5% better margins. Credits: Markmi Markdowns in Fashion Retail: A Necessary Evil or a Strategic Opportunity? "Markdowns are one of the biggest cost lines in a fashion retailer’s P&L," says Markus Krenn, VP & Head of Commercial Planning Europe at C&A. "Thanks to Markmi, we finally have more grip on this process." “We saw that many fashion brands still manage their markdowns in a traditional way,” says Laurent Mainil, CEO of Markmi. "Merchandising teams go through spreadsheets, analyze sales figures, and too often base discounts on experience and intuition, simply because the sheer number of decisions and the lack of adequate insights leave them with no other choice." This challenge is amplified by a rapidly changing market and increasingly price-sensitive consumers, placing even more pressure on merchandising teams, especially with the growing frequency of discount periods like mid-season sales and Black Friday. Add to this the error-prone nature of endless rows of numbers in Excel, and it becomes clear why making timely, well-informed decisions is harder than ever. Yet for fashion retailers, getting markdowns right the first time is critical because you can't update discounts in stores every few days. Markmi helps fashion retailers see markdowns not as a necessary evil but as a strategic tool for managing discount periods effectively. By combining AI-powered insights with retailer-specific business rules, it provides optimized markdown recommendations, allowing retailers to: Price smarter: No more arbitrary discounts, recommendations are based on sales data and inventory risks. Make fast, confident decisions: Less reliance on manual analysis and gut feeling. Optimize margins and revenue: Thoughtful strategies that apply the right discounts at the right time, preventing unnecessary margin loss. Credits: Markmi Markmi: AI That Works the Way Fashion Retailers Think What sets Markmi apart from generic price optimization tools is its deep understanding of fashion retail. “This isn’t just another AI tool, it’s a solution developed over four years of collaboration with merchandising teams and commercial executives in fashion retail," says Laurent Mainil. What makes Markmi uniquely suited for fashion? Markmi stands out due to its deep knowledge of fashion retail, AI models trained specifically on fashion retail data, and an interface designed for both merchandisers/planners and commercial directors. The tool understands how merchandising teams strategically plan markdowns, from one discount wave to the next. With Advanced Sales Forecasting and Multiple Scenario Analysis, it enables teams to simulate and evaluate the impact of successive markdown phases, incorporating custom business rules and objectives. No generic rules. Just configurable settings tailored to product categories, collection types, and regions. This fashion-specific approach not only delivers faster insights but also provides recommendations aligned with the way retail teams operate, allowing them to act with confidence, without getting lost in endless Excel debates. “Let me give a concrete example," says Laurent Mainil. “During a previous discount season, the team at G-Star EU had to manage markdowns for 1,866 products—a task that would normally require days or even weeks of manual work and endless discussions. With Markmi’s AI-powered markdown tool, this process was dramatically accelerated. In just 5 days, the tool performed 14.5 million calculations across 21 scenarios to determine the best markdown strategies—an analysis that would be impossible to complete manually. For each markdown strategy—structured in three phases—the tool executed 3.2 million calculations in under 10 minutes. Testing five of these strategies resulted in 16 million calculations, all completed in minutes. Thanks to this speed, the team could test multiple markdown scenarios, save time, and make the most profitable decisions for their bus
Markdowns are an unavoidable part of fashion retail, but they’re also one of the biggest cost drivers. Discounting too soon means unnecessary margin loss, while waiting too long leads to excess inventory.
Many fashion retailers are still stuck in time-consuming spreadsheets, with merchandising teams spending hours manually analyzing data in bulky files, debating over unreliable sales forecasts, and ultimately making decisions based on gut feeling. Meanwhile, revenue opportunities slip away, and margins shrink unnecessarily.
This is where Markmi makes a difference. As an AI-powered markdown assistant designed specifically for fashion retail, it helps brands and retailers make markdown decisions faster, smarter, and with better results.
By enabling teams to react quickly to changing sales dynamics, Markmi customers—including C&A, G-Star, Zizzi, and Torfs—achieve measurable improvements. They not only gain more control over their markdowns but also see a clear financial impact: up to 10% higher sales and 5% better margins.
Markdowns in Fashion Retail: A Necessary Evil or a Strategic Opportunity?
"Markdowns are one of the biggest cost lines in a fashion retailer’s P&L," says Markus Krenn, VP & Head of Commercial Planning Europe at C&A. "Thanks to Markmi, we finally have more grip on this process."
“We saw that many fashion brands still manage their markdowns in a traditional way,” says Laurent Mainil, CEO of Markmi. "Merchandising teams go through spreadsheets, analyze sales figures, and too often base discounts on experience and intuition, simply because the sheer number of decisions and the lack of adequate insights leave them with no other choice."
This challenge is amplified by a rapidly changing market and increasingly price-sensitive consumers, placing even more pressure on merchandising teams, especially with the growing frequency of discount periods like mid-season sales and Black Friday. Add to this the error-prone nature of endless rows of numbers in Excel, and it becomes clear why making timely, well-informed decisions is harder than ever. Yet for fashion retailers, getting markdowns right the first time is critical because you can't update discounts in stores every few days.
Markmi helps fashion retailers see markdowns not as a necessary evil but as a strategic tool for managing discount periods effectively. By combining AI-powered insights with retailer-specific business rules, it provides optimized markdown recommendations, allowing retailers to:
- Price smarter: No more arbitrary discounts, recommendations are based on sales data and inventory risks.
- Make fast, confident decisions: Less reliance on manual analysis and gut feeling.
- Optimize margins and revenue: Thoughtful strategies that apply the right discounts at the right time, preventing unnecessary margin loss.
Markmi: AI That Works the Way Fashion Retailers Think
What sets Markmi apart from generic price optimization tools is its deep understanding of fashion retail. “This isn’t just another AI tool, it’s a solution developed over four years of collaboration with merchandising teams and commercial executives in fashion retail," says Laurent Mainil.
What makes Markmi uniquely suited for fashion?
Markmi stands out due to its deep knowledge of fashion retail, AI models trained specifically on fashion retail data, and an interface designed for both merchandisers/planners and commercial directors.
The tool understands how merchandising teams strategically plan markdowns, from one discount wave to the next. With Advanced Sales Forecasting and Multiple Scenario Analysis, it enables teams to simulate and evaluate the impact of successive markdown phases, incorporating custom business rules and objectives. No generic rules. Just configurable settings tailored to product categories, collection types, and regions.
This fashion-specific approach not only delivers faster insights but also provides recommendations aligned with the way retail teams operate, allowing them to act with confidence, without getting lost in endless Excel debates.
“Let me give a concrete example," says Laurent Mainil. “During a previous discount season, the team at G-Star EU had to manage markdowns for 1,866 products—a task that would normally require days or even weeks of manual work and endless discussions.
With Markmi’s AI-powered markdown tool, this process was dramatically accelerated. In just 5 days, the tool performed 14.5 million calculations across 21 scenarios to determine the best markdown strategies—an analysis that would be impossible to complete manually.
For each markdown strategy—structured in three phases—the tool executed 3.2 million calculations in under 10 minutes. Testing five of these strategies resulted in 16 million calculations, all completed in minutes.
Thanks to this speed, the team could test multiple markdown scenarios, save time, and make the most profitable decisions for their business.”
Beyond AI-Powered Markdowns: Markmi & The Future of Flexible Pricing in Fashion Retail
While Markmi is already transforming markdowns in fashion retail, the team is looking ahead. The future lies in offering a comprehensive platform for AI-driven pricing decisions in fashion retail. With rising price sensitivity among consumers, the increasing influence of online marketplaces, and shifting buying trends, flexible pricing strategies are becoming more essential than ever.
"In the coming years, we aim to become a full-fledged platform for AI-powered pricing decisions in fashion retail," says Laurent Mainil. "So not merely markdowns, we want to provide recommendations for full-price optimization and promotional pricing as well."
“Markmi is more than just a tool. It’s a strategic partner that helps fashion retail teams make pricing decisions with confidence and maximize the potential of their collections,” Mainil concludes. By shifting the way markdowns are approached, Markmi helps retailers stay relevant and competitive. The future of fashion retail may be uncertain, but optimized pricing and better results are now within reach.
