Shell UK selects Relex to improve forecasting, stock replenishment and ordering of fresh produce

Shell has selected Relex Solutions in the UK to provide AI-driven forecasting, stock replenishment and retail operations for its UK ‘mobility & convenience’ network. The implementation includes, amongst other things, optimisation of the fresh produce range, weather-dependent forecasting, stock replenishment and price reductions on fresh produce.

This is reported by retailtechinnovationhub.com. Shell operates more than 550 convenience stores in the UK under the Shell Select, Little Waitrose and Co-op brand names. The company will now utilise the Finnish firm Relex Solutions for centralised, automated planning models, making use of its forecasting and stock replenishment capabilities. Relex offers tools that enable store teams to generate order proposals at store level, taking into account the lifecycle of fresh produce, demand during promotions and weather-dependent sales patterns. These proposals can be viewed and assessed immediately via the mobile replenishment solution, and adjusted if necessary before orders are finalised.

“Relex gives us the tools to plan more intelligently across our UK network of convenience stores,” says Janine Albrecht Webb, UK General Manager at Shell Mobility & Convenience. “We look forward to the improvements this will bring to our retail operations and the customer experience.”

AI at the heart

“Speed is crucial in a network like Shell’s,” says Mikko Kärkkäinen, CEO of Relex Solutions. “We can go live with the system and deliver value in a much shorter time than would normally be required for a transformation of this scale. This is made possible by placing AI at the heart of their planning and retail operations. Not as an afterthought, but as the driving force behind forecasts, stock replenishment and day-to-day decisions in every shop. That is what gives Shell’s teams better tools and provides their customers with a better experience.”

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