SPAR UK partner James Hall & Co has, to date, supported 50 independently-owned SPAR stores with the installation of a centralised store replenishment (CSR) system, helping to efficiently and effectively manage store stock levels.
This technology uses store sales and stock levels to generate accurate stock figures and forecasts – cutting out human error and making ordering more efficient. Also operating in the company-owned stores, there are now a total of 200 SPAR stores in the region benefiting from this system.
The CSR system monitors and manages product quantities to ensure that the minimum amount of stock is held, while maximising product availability. It also provides useful reports and information to help review slow-selling items. The aim is to optimise stock holding and improve cashflow.
James Hall & Co started trialling the CSR system in their company-owned stores more than 10 years ago. James Hall Retail Systems Advisor John Walmsley, said: “We saw around a one per cent like-for-like sales increase in the stores on CSR by maximising availability, while also minimising our overall stock holding.
“CSR was adjusted to suit independent retailers and was trialled in 2012. Since then it has been carefully and gradually rolled out, until we began to invite other retailers to join in 2016. Since then, we have gone from just a dozen stores using CSR to 50, with more in the pipeline.”
SPAR is claimed to be the UK’s leading convenience retailer, with a combined turnover in excess of £12 billion ($22 billion). SPAR celebrated its 60th anniversary in the UK in 2017.
