C&S Wholesale Grocers streamlines forecasting and replenishment
The largest wholesale grocery supply company in the U.S. is increasing transparency and flexibility in its supply chain.
C&S Wholesale Grocers Inc. is deploying unified supply chain and planning technology from Relex Solutions. The company intends to use Relex applications to help streamline its technical architecture supporting demand forecasting and automatic replenishment.
As a result, C&S seeks to enhance its customer experience and enable highly accurate planning, all while driving long-term growth plans with the scalable Relex supply chain platform. C&S will begin testing the new system in early 2023.
C&S Wholesale Grocers transforms enterprise
The implementation of Relex supply chain solutions is occurring as C&S pursues a wider goal of transforming its enterprise with leading-edge technology. C&S is partnering with Tata Consulting Services (TCS) to build a new operations platform on Google Cloud. The company seeks to reduce its carbon footprint and enhance the customer experience.
Using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), C&S intends to leverage its new operations platform to monitor traffic patterns and identify optimal distribution routes, with goals including reducing food waste and achieving greater fuel efficiency.
C&S also seeks to utilize the predictive platform to provide self-service solutions to IT and customer service touchpoints. And this activity is occurring on the heels of the company selecting NielsenIQ Brandbank, a provider of digital product content solutions, as its digital product content partner. This implementation will make NielsenIQ Brandbank content available across all C&S Wholesale business functions and all stores supported by C&S Wholesale.
It is also worth noting that Piggly Wiggly Midwest, which operates corporate stores and services independent franchisees under a chain-style program and is a subsidiary of C&S Wholesale Grocers, will pilot the Focal Operating System (FocalOS) in its Wisconsin and Illinois stores. The FocalOS platform digitalizes operations across the entire store in order to automate and optimize ordering, inventory management, merchandising and in-store labor, with the objective to deliver a better experience to customers.
“C&S is continuously innovating every aspect of our operations to enhance our customer’s experience. With Relex we will be able to better predict and plan for their needs – today and in the future – with a flexible and agile technical solution that will grow with our company,” said Michael Papaleo, executive VP and chief procurement officer, C&S Wholesale Grocers Inc.
“The selection of Relex as part of our roadmap for application modernization will help in advancing C&S’s digital transformation strategy, which will improve capabilities for both our employees and partners,” said Sudhakar Lingineni, CIO, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc. “This solution will provide a unified, adaptable and scalable platform with state-of-the-art AI / ML for forecasting, buying and replenishment as part of the integrated supply chain optimization initiative.”
“C&S and Relex have a similar culture of improvement and dedication to optimization. That makes us the right partner for C&S because Relex offers a completely customized solution that is tailored to their specific needs,” said Frank Lord, chief revenue officer at Relecx Solutions. “Relex will help C&S strengthen its inventory management and forecast accuracy, which will ultimately drive its long-term growth.”
Founded in 1918 as a supplier to independent grocery stores, C&S now services customers of all sizes, supplying more than 7,500 independent supermarkets, chain stores, military bases and institutions with over 100,000 different products.