PROCUREMENT STRATEGY
Category management has long served as the backbone of strategic procurement, the discipline through which organisations rationalise spend, manage supplier relationships and drive business value.
For decades, category managers relied heavily on manual research, price analysis and supplier negotiation to keep organisations competitive. Yet, as global supply chains grow more dynamic and complex, the traditional model is straining under pressure.
Kantar’ s 2025 Category Leadership Study confirms the discipline is“ not only alive but thriving, evolving into a more strategic, AI-powered and insightdriven function.” This evolution signals a powerful shift: category managers are moving from tactical execution towards strategic orchestration and customer-centric leadership.
Kantar 2025: AI as gamechanger, not replacement Kantar, defines category leadership as“ the ability of both retailers and manufacturers to influence and shape category growth through customer centricity, executional excellence and organisational flexibility.”
Their seventh annual study reveals both sectors are prioritising AI investments, with 79 % committing resources and 82 % of manufacturers ready to invest more in AI supply chain management.
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