Marks & Spencer (M&S) Food, the leading British retailer is improving its supply chain operations with RELEX Solutions, provider of unified supply chain and retail planning solutions. Following the implementation of forecasting and replenishment, M&S Food is using RELEX to improve product availability across its stores, limit waste, and deliver stronger operational efficiency through automation and improved forecasting.
M&S provides high quality, great value food, clothing and homeware to millions of customers around the world. The retailer is renowned for its commitment to quality and innovation and has long been a visionary in integrating sustainability into its operations. This includes commitments to reducing food waste by improving supply chain efficiency.
With a strong focus on delivering fresh, high-quality food, it was essential for M&S Food to choose a technology partner capable of supporting the complexities of their supplier relationships and product-driven operations. This is particularly important during the holiday period when the demand for products is at a phenomenal peak and requires highly accurate forecasting and replenishment to meet customer demand.
As such, the retailer implemented RELEX in March 2021 with a focus on 1,050 stores and 13 distribution centers throughout the UK and Ireland. The aim of the project was to optimize M&S Food’s supply chain, especially its premium fresh and chilled food offering, which constitutes over 70% of its product range and relies on a vast network of suppliers. It also sought to improve product availability and reduce waste.
Since adopting RELEX, M&S Food has significantly improved supply chain efficiency by using the AI-driven platform for accurate forecasting and replenishment. The system incorporates key inputs such as past sales, weather forecasts, promotions, events, prices, and assortment data, to generate precise demand predictions. These forecasts are combined with operational factors like inventory levels, lead times, and delivery schedules to drive relevant, actionable, and accurate replenishment decisions. With its strong focus on fresh-driven business, M&S Food leverages RELEX to address challenges like supplier complexities and delivery schedules to ensure timely and efficient product flow from suppliers to stores.
M&S has experienced significant improvements including:
- Improving availability: By using advanced forecasting and sophisticated replenishment functionality, RELEX has contributed to an availability increase. This ensures that M&S Food customers can find the products they need in store and online and supports M&S Food’s on-going commitments to sustainability.
- Increased automation: By automating their processes, the M&S Food team have reduced manual interventions and shifted focus from manual tasks to strategic initiatives, increasing efficiency.
- Strengthened Collaboration: The collaboration between M&S Food and RELEX has been marked by close alignment in values and proactive teamwork. M&S Food’s feedback has directly contributed to the continuous evolution of the RELEX platform, reinforcing a mutually beneficial relationship.
“These achievements highlight M&S Food’s dedication to innovation, sustainability, and customer-centricity, as well as their ability to adapt to the evolving demands of the retail landscape,” said Jason Berry, senior vice pesident, EMEA, RELEX Solutions. “We are honored to support M&S Food in their journey to improve operational efficiency and look forward to continuing our collaboration to drive even more success”.
