Logistics trends for 2026: From AI to the rise of automation

Logistics trends for 2026 are poised to transform supply chains. Technological advances, new customer demands, and growing sustainability awareness are redefining market priorities. Against this backdrop, visibility and flexibility are becoming key pillars for navigating an increasingly dynamic and competitive environment.

This post explores the major trends that will shape logistics in the near future and how organizations can make the most of them.

AI drives logistics

One of the main logistics trends for 2026 is artificial intelligence (AI), a technology many companies have already embedded in their operations to boost efficiency and support smarter decision-making. Its evolution toward generative models has expanded its capabilities beyond big data analysis to include content creation. Although challenges such as data reliability and information security remain, the impact of AI on productivity makes it critical for supply chain transformation in the coming months.

AI adoption has skyrocketed in recent years, spreading across multiple industries. According to consulting firm Capgemini, the share of businesses using it jumped from 6% in 2023 to 30% in 2025. Today, 93% of organizations are either exploring or actively deploying generative AI, leaving only a small minority yet to engage. This rapid uptake confirms the unstoppable momentum of this technology as well as its growing influence in logistics, where it promises to enhance efficiency and visibility in 2026.

The Mecalux Group, for instance, has incorporated generative AI into its Easy WMS warehouse management system through Easy AI. With this tool, users can interact with a conversational assistant that understands and resolves complex queries in seven languages. It enables faster decision-making and actions designed to boost warehouse performance. The AI leverages available data to deliver clear, visual responses (figures, lists, or charts) and allows users to run queries, generate reports, create dashboards, and execute tasks. This makes information more accessible while streamlining inventory and operational management.

Integrating generative AI into solutions like Easy WMS shows how the logistics sector is beginning to harness these capabilities to automate data analysis, accelerate decisions, and shorten process times. But the evolution doesn’t stop there: alongside conversational assistants, AI agents are emerging. These systems are capable of gathering information from their environment and making decisions autonomously to complete tasks or achieve objectives. They combine various AI techniques to analyze data, learn from experience, and take actions on behalf of users, making them central to more intelligent, context-aware automation.

Consulting firm Deloitte predicts that AI agents will expand across numerous industries. Effective adoption will require companies to define clear frameworks for application and invest in workforce training, preparing teams for new workflows and emerging roles. Among the areas with the greatest potential, Deloitte highlights the supply chain, where these systems can “autonomously optimize inventory, logistics, and procurement in real time.” This transformation, already taking shape, represents a profound shift in how logistics operations are managed.

Flexible and scalable automation

The logistics industry is evolving at a breakneck pace, demanding that every cubic foot of space be used to the fullest while keeping operations agile. Warehouses call for scalability and flexibility — they require solutions that can grow alongside the business and enable them to pivot effortlessly to demand fluctuations. To meet these needs, automation is entering a new phase marked by smarter, more connected, and highly versatile systems that reflect another logistics trend for 2026.

Internal material transport is an area where this flexible, scalable automation has the greatest impact. Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) have become an optimal solution. These intelligent machines operate without requiring supervision and stand out for their adaptability. They integrate seamlessly into new or existing warehouse layouts, need no structural modifications, and can be deployed in a short time. Their scalability is another strength, allowing operators to expand fleets as activity increases or during seasonal peaks. Interlake Mecalux’s line of AMRs incorporates this technology. Designed for a range of warehouse workflows — from handling small items to moving palletized loads — these machines deliver solutions tailored to a facility’s characteristics.

As warehouse automation becomes even more flexible and scalable, systems featuring multidirectional shuttles are gaining ground. These solutions make full use of available space and accelerate pallet flow, featuring shuttles that navigate storage lanes and switch levels autonomously. Their ability to operate in multiple directions makes them ideal for facilities with high-throughput inbound and outbound operations. Interlake Mecalux’s 3D Automated Pallet Shuttle is an example of this technology. The system incorporates a multidirectional shuttle that moves between racking lanes and levels without manual intervention. This solution is designed to manage large daily pallet flows efficiently and ensure uptime.

Software as a service: Agility and control

SaaS leverages cloud computing to let organizations access advanced software solutions through subscriptions. This model eliminates the need to invest in on-premises servers and reduces maintenance costs. Set to expand further in 2026, SaaS delivers automatic updates, continuous support, and rapid scalability to keep pace with business changes. In logistics, these benefits translate into faster operations, lower infrastructure costs, and centralized control over all warehouse activities.

Consulting firm McKinsey indicates that, in the era of AI and SaaS, software is no longer a static tool — it’s a platform that executes and orchestrates work. In practical terms, this means subscription-based WMS software can be deployed quickly, receive ongoing updates, and scale capabilities according to a facility’s real needs. The result? Less technological friction and faster time-to-value, which are vital for projects where warehouse productivity depends on immediate system availability.

The advantages of SaaS are already evident in numerous operations. Companies like SurDiscount, for example, rely on Easy WMS in the cloud to handle spikes in demand without additional infrastructure investment, keep the system continuously updated, and guarantee uninterrupted operations even during peak seasons. Success stories like this demonstrate how SaaS delivers flexibility, control, and efficiency in a sector where adaptability is paramount.

Distributed order management

In today’s logistics landscape, a single order can be fulfilled from multiple points across the network — whether a warehouse, a physical store, a dark store, or a distribution center (DC). Therefore, organizations need a unified view of inventory and real-time product availability. Distributed order management (DOM) systems facilitate this coordination by orchestrating order fulfillment based on product levels, proximity, and the operational capacity of each facility. These solutions act as a central hub, connecting information flows across stores and DCs so that every order ships from the optimal location.

To address the challenges of omnichannel fulfillment, Interlake Mecalux offers the Easy DOM distributed order management system. This software supports omnichannel companies with high daily order volumes and multiple shipping points. Easy DOM determines the best fulfillment location for each order based on inventory availability and prioritization rules tailored to an organization’s business model, ensuring timely and accurate delivery. One platform connects all supply chain stakeholders — warehouses using different software, ERP systems, marketplaces, call centers, stores, 3PL providers, carriers, and more — enabling coordinated, efficient management from start to finish.

Smart and automated picking

Automated picking is destined to be a top logistics trend for 2026. By combining robots, intelligent internal transport systems, and advanced algorithms, companies can speed up order picking, reduce errors, and maintain continuous operations.

Technologies driving this transformation include automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RSs) that move totes quickly within racking units, consistently supplying products where they’re needed. One example is Interlake Mecalux’s Shuttle System, which utilizes motorized shuttles to transport and position boxes with high precision, maintaining a constant flow to picking areas.

Complementing this are picking robots, which identify and handle items autonomously using advanced vision and AI systems. Mecalux integrates this technology into its robotic picking solution, employing Siemens’ SIMATIC Robot Pick AI to enhance accuracy in item selection and handling while keeping workflows running smoothly.

Efficiency and intelligence

In 2026, logistics ecosystems promise to be highly interconnected. AI, SaaS, and collaborative robotics are transforming how businesses plan and perform their operations, a shift set to accelerate in the coming years. Technology not only boosts productivity but also improves decision-making and adaptability in the face of changing demand. By pairing advanced software with automation solutions, warehouses are becoming true control centers, offering unprecedented flexibility. Ultimately, the logistics trends of 2026 will turn these facilities into smarter, more efficient spaces that bolster overall competitiveness.