With the help of Captana’s technology, Edeka Clausen was able to increase intraday shelf availability in its stores by more than five per cent. This was reported by Hauke Clausen, member of the management board of the independent Hamburg-based Edeka retailer, at Deutscher Handelskongress in Berlin in November. The Captana solution, which is part of the VusionGroup, combines AI technology with cameras and digital shelf labels to identify out-of-stock items in real time.
The software analyses the shelf and uses artificial intelligence to identify gaps. The system then sends a replenishment order to the mobile device of the associate in charge. Priority items such as fast-moving and promotional items can be taken into account. With this up-to-date information, the trolley can be perfectly stocked for the next replenishment. As a result, empty shelves can be restocked more quickly and staff walking distances optimised.
The technology makes work easier for our employees and ensures greater efficiency in our day-to-day business,” says Hauke Clausen. The digital solution not only helps independent shopowners to optimise processes but also provides valuable insights that can be used for long-term strategies.
Real-time data in the Captana app
Edeka Clausen has two stores in Hamburg. With a sales area of 1,700 square metres and 20,000 products from Edeka Nord, the retailer achieves a turnover of around 25 million euros. The Captana solution uses wireless cameras to monitor the shelves. With the Captana system, the Edeka retailer receives an hourly report on the current situation on the shelves, without the need for employees to keep time-consuming tally sheets. The platform provides transparency about products that are missing from the shelves and products that are still available in the warehouse.
In addition to improving the availability of goods on the shelves, the solution also helps retailers to optimise their processes and the deployment of their staff, and to increase customer satisfaction. The items scanned by the camera are converted into structured, product-specific data, which is used to generate tasks for employees on the sales floor. These are available to staff in real time on the Captana app, directly on the store’s ordering devices. To help fill gaps, digital shelf labels flash, allowing items to be found and replenished quickly and efficiently.
More time for customers
In times of a shortage of skilled workers and rising costs, digitalisation with Captana is a decisive advantage for Edeka Clausen. The time saved can be better used by staff to advise customers. The integration of ESL technology and the intuitive Captana app also enables new employees to get up to speed more quickly. The need for extensive training is reduced and employees can become productive more quickly.
Other companies within the Edeka Group are also successfully using Captana: At Edeka Kohler in Ettenheim, the digitalisation specialists are testing new functions of their technology. With around 100 shelf sensors located between the ESLs in the store, the Edeka retailer has been using the technology for packaged goods for some time. Now, the Captana solution is there also being tested there for the fruit and vegetable department. “Our aim is to replenish the right products as quickly as possible. At the end of the day, our customers are the ones who benefit the most. Nothing is more annoying than when promotional products are empty on the shelf but still in the warehouse,” says Maximilian Kohler, Managing Director of Edeka Kohler.
Captana is popular with Edeka retailers
The Warnow Park E-Center in Rostock also implemented Captana’s solution last year, as reported by The Retail Optimiser. The independent Edeka retailer was able to increase shelf availability in the store by three per cent using the technology. With a sales area as large as that of the E-Center, the time saved through automated stocktaking processes adds up. The measurable result: since Stephan Cunäus took over the E-Center Warnow Park as managing director in 2019 and as an independent entrepreneur in June 2021, he and his team have been able to increase the average bill in his store from 16 to 26 Euros.
