7-Eleven Mexico has deployed Blue Yonder’s platform to optimise shelf placement and order quantities from a single source. The convenience store operator, which is present in 13 Mexican states, wants to use Blue Yonder’s AI-based planogram generator to optimise outlet orders on a store-specific basis to both increase the availability of products that are in high demand at a particular location and reduce unnecessary inventory. The project was implemented by Blue Yonder partner Goldco.
Thanks to Blue Yonder’s AI-based forecasting models and real-time data from each store, 7-Eleven employees are able to quickly and flexibly adjust stock, shelf space, prices and store operations to new changes in demand at any time. Products that are in particularly high demand at certain locations can be allocated a larger shelf space. Furthermore, thanks to Blue Yonder’s planogram generator, 7-Eleven employees are able to adjust the order quantities for specific stores to minimise both stock shortages and unnecessary inventory. As a result, Blue Yonder’s solution helps the retailer to improve its customers’ shopping experience on a location-specific basis.
The internationally active US convenience store chain based in Dallas introduced the platform solution from Blue Yonder – at that time JDA – back in 2018. This step enabled the retailer, which is part of Japanese Seven & I Holdings, to optimise the supply chains of its US stores with the help of sophisticated forecasting data. With Blue Yonder’s solution, 7-Eleven can optimise the planning requirements of perishable goods for each individual store, increase the availability of goods and reduce food waste.
Less manual processes
The deal with the Mexican country unit of 7-Eleven resulted from the fact that Blue Yonder’s supply chain management was based on inaccurate, manual processes and the stores were unable to realise their full sales potential. The convenience store specialist also aims to fulfil the high expectations of its approximately one million daily customers in terms of product quality and availability at all times. With Blue Yonder, 7-Eleven’s Mexican country unit has now found a solution to optimise its category management with a high degree of automation for each individual store.
Thanks to Blue Yonder’s analysis and forecasting solution, 7-Eleven Mexico now operates a modern, structured category management process. “We were looking for a solution that would allow us to harmonise our retail strategy, space management and product availability,” says Gabriel Aranda, Revenue Manager, 7-Eleven Mexico. Blue Yonder’s category management solution could be optimally integrated into the retailer’s strategic, tactical and operational processes, he emphasies.
