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Drive More Traffic to Your C-Store

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Increase Shopper Frequency With Greater In-Stocks

It is no secret that increasing shopper frequency and retaining customers is key to operating a successful c-store. In the last few years there have been several top c-store chains that have been able to drive more foot traffic to their stores, which then leads to increased sales and profits.

C-stores have been a staple in our communities for both local shoppers and travelers who need last-minute or everyday products. They have come very far since the early days of just offering a few snack choices and ice while being open 24/7. Today, c-stores face much greater competition than ever before.
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4R Stacks Up its Demand Planning Solution Against Competitors

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In a previous blog post, we discussed how demand planning is crucial during a crisis. Demand planning is the stabilizing anchor in a volatile supply chain. Demand planning may sound like old technology, but it is the foundation of a profitable supply chain. However, not all solutions are created equal.

So what demand planning solution is right for you? It depends. There are a number of factors to consider before making a decision. While researching the various options, you should evaluate solution providers to see how they perform and compare the results. At a minimum, each solution provider should offer a pilot or trial so your retail company can see estimated profit improvement before making any final decisions. Once a trial is conducted using your stores’ data, you can see what actual results would be for each solution provider to determine value.

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Demand Planning To Revive and Recover Retail

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Do demand planning solutions help recover after a period of downturn?

Demand planning is a foundational function of the supply chain. Since shopper behavior seems unpredictable, should you scrap your demand planning structure? In short, no. Demand planning is the anchor in a volatile supply chain.

Even though the supply chain hasn’t kept up with the demand for every SKU, you can still leverage existing data to adjust your demand planning. Eventually, the supply chain will catch up to consumer demand. At the same time, demand spikes for high-value items will decrease. True Demand Planning not only looks at what is selling, but also what could or should have sold if the appropriate stock was on hand. [Read more…]

5 Things Top Retailers do to Build Powerful Brands

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Get in on the Secret

Every day comes with announcements of another retailer in trouble… bankruptcy, store closings, executive changes, and more. It can get depressing for those working in the retail world. But if you look closely, weaved into those cautionary tales there are some successes, believe it or not. Many companies are opening more stores, e-commerce companies are opening brick and mortar locations and stores are celebrating successful holiday sales. So, what gives? What is it that the successful retailers are doing and how can we get in on the secret?

Looking at the list of thriving retailers, there are some glaring commonalities. [Read more…]

Your Technology is Only as Strong as its Human Link

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At this point in time, trying to live without technology is easier said than done. Technology has so greatly impacted our lives, that it is almost inescapable. In retail, you will be run over without properly utilizing technology. However, interacting with people is a core function in retail environments. This begs the question of how much technology is too much technology? How do you maintain a balance between human and machine?

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Clearing the Way to More Retail Profit

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Removing the Risk, Increasing the Payoff in Your Omniretail Inventory.

No Risk, No Reward?

Enthusiastic investors and gamblers have one thing in common: they want to win BIG. However, trying to win big requires greater risk. With a higher risk, the chances of losing are also higher. Both the investor and the gambler dream of winning big, but often want to find ways to minimize the risk of losing.

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3 Ways Assortment Optimization Differs from other
Inventory Related Solutions

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Assortment Optimization is a powerful tool for retailers to increase profit and improve customer experience and loyalty. It combines cutting-edge machine learning techniques, an agile continuous improvement methodology, and flexible customization to accommodate unique business requirements. Like other related solutions, assortment optimization utilizes machine learning techniques and AI to find the optimal assortment for every SKU in each store location. However, assortment optimization offers other unique benefits.

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How AI & Machine Learning Make
Assortment Optimization More Profitable

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AI-based systems do not always make better decisions than humans. Find out why, and how to make sure your system is getting the best of both worlds.

Man vs. Machine

When it comes to Assortment Optimization, AI (artificial intelligence) and machine learning play a key part behind the scenes. While a human perspective helps, there are two important factors that make AI very important: scale and automation. For example, a large retailer with 1,000 physical stores and 10,000 products has as many as 10 million assortment decisions to determine which stores should carry which SKUs, what quantities, and when. Even though a significant portion of product offering is chainwide, that still leaves a formidable number of micro-decisions to be made. This amount of decision-making for humans is inefficient and not very profitable.

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