Coles Group has partnered with retail solutions provider, Relex Solutions.
The partnership is expected to optimise Coles’ end-to-end supply chain planning for fresh produce categories as well as its long-term inventory planning capabilities. Relex will service the retailer’s supermarkets nationally and its seven fresh produce distribution centres, driving better customer service, reduced food waste, and improved supplier collaboration.
The Relex solution, part of the Relex Living Retail Platform, will optimise Coles’ replenishment for fresh produce, utilising AI and high scale computation power. The solution will also automate replenishment processes, giving planners time to focus on more critical and strategic tasks.
Coles Executive General Manager Central Operations and Transformation Kevin Gunn says the retailer started the journey of centralising its replenishment model more than 10 years ago.
“Fresh produce presents many unique challenges compared to other parts of the grocery business: shorter shelf life, seasonality, price elasticity, along with the diverse and complex growing seasons and regions we are challenged with in Australia,” he says.
“Using the Relex solution to centralise the control of the replenishment model allows Coles to provide increased efficiency in one of our most complex supply chains and improve the customer experience through more targeted ranges, improved availability, fresher products, and simpler processes for our team members and our suppliers.
“The centralised ordering of fresh produce will also help to reduce waste on our existing range and minimise waste on new ranges, which is important to us as Coles aims to become Australia’s most sustainable supermarket.”