Inditex CEO touts AI‑driven flexibility as experts warn of fire hazards in expanding warehouses

Inditex chief executive Óscar García Maceiras said the group’s integrated physical‑store and online model, value‑based pricing and growing use of artificial intelligence have helped it adapt to past disruptions and boost sales by 40% while operating 27% fewer stores since 2019. He emphasized that pricing decisions are set by product and market teams, not cost‑plus formulas, and that AI is a key transformation lever for the retailer.

At the same time, industrial‑safety specialist Eurídice Ibarlucea highlighted rising fire and other safety risks in modern logistics centres that have become “living spaces” with higher volume, new materials and automated equipment. She warned that existing fire‑suppression systems may be inadequate when storage configurations change, especially with lithium‑battery packs and electric forklifts, and that inadequate safety upgrades could jeopardise contracts or force a company into bankruptcy. Ibarlucea urged better material classification, early‑detection systems and updated regulations to keep pace with automation.

Both comments underline the twin pressures on the supply‑chain sector: the need for technological agility and the imperative to maintain robust safety standards as operations expand.