forge - 2026 Pricing, Features, Reviews & Alternatives

forge is the product lifecycle management module within the merchmix retail operating system, built for mid-market, inventory-led retailers in apparel, footwear, FMCG, and specialty retail with revenues between roughly $50M and $900M. Every style is held as a single, unbroken record from first concept through tech pack, bill of materials, materials and trims library, supplier quoting, cost sheet building, and governed sign-off. Approved styles feed directly into range planning and publish to Shopify and other sales channels from the same product record, with no separate export or re-entry step. The platform is delivered as a cloud-based web application with native iOS and Android mobile apps, and integrates with NetSuite, SAP S/4HANA, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Shopify, and BigQuery.

forge covers the full product creation workflow: one record per style spanning overview, attributes, colourways, variants, and SKUs; tech packs with size specification, construction, and packaging detail; CAD file storage alongside construction specs; sample and fit result tracking; and a materials, trims, and components library with fabric swatches. Supplier quoting via RFQs, landed cost estimation before commitment, and supplier comparison across mills, cut-and-sew, and trim vendors reduce financial risk on new styles. The forge approvals workflow governs every draft action, ensuring no record is created or updated without review and sign-off. Attribute-level sell-through read-back by colour, shape, and fabric informs future design decisions, and the platform connects to the broader merchmix suite including core for range planning, core plus for allocation and replenishment, horizon ERP, and the beacon supplier portal.

Embedded within forge is yukti, a design and creation agent that evolves existing styles or starts new ones from a text prompt. yukti works from a retailer's best sellers rather than a blank brief, identifying range gaps, refreshing hero styles, building accessories stories, and exploring material and colour directions. Once a direction is approved through forge approvals, yukti writes the marketing and product descriptions, names the style, creates the draft product record, and builds the CAD and bill of materials. Computer vision supports colour and shape analysis and attribute-level sell-through recommendations. No data is written to the product record without human approval, keeping creative speed within a governed workflow.