Rossmann is going to use Symphony AI, the store-specific space and shelf planning system that has proven its worth in Germany, for its planned expansion in Spain. The drugstore operator is already forecasting the order quantities of its stores there in the same way as in its home country with Relex.
Rossmann has only been represented in Spain since July 2020 – and currently operates just 23 stores there, mainly in holiday regions that are heavily frequented by Germans. However, the company now wants to significantly accelerate its expansion in Spain. “We are looking forward to making Rossmann’s typical quality, range and service available to even more Spanish shoppers as part of our further expansion,” says Stefan Frings, Managing Director of Rossmann Spain.
In response to an enquiry from Retail Optimiser, Rossmann announced that both planning and optimisation solutions – Relex and Symphony AI – are part of the international IT reference architecture, meaning that they are both intended for use in all countries. However, there are currently no concrete plans for the introduction of Symphony AI in other foreign subsidiaries of the drugstore operator.
Optimised planograms for all store sizes
“We have integrated Symphony AI store and space planning into our international reference architecture from an IT perspective to ensure scalability while supporting our business colleagues in ensuring a consistent, high-quality shopping experience with data-driven, automated and optimised planograms and assortments across all our store formats,” reports Rossmann IT Manager Christian Metzner.
Rossmann has been using Relex for inventory optimisation in Germany since 2015. At that time, the drugstore operator was the first major Relex-customer in Germany. There is now hardly any grocery retailer in the country that does not use Relex. According to information of Retail Optimiser, Rossmann has taken Relex not only to Spain, but also to Hungary, Turkey, Kosovo and Albania.
Best of Breed architecture
For store-specific space and shelf optimisation, however, Rossmann decided against Relex and in favour of Symphony AI in 2020. The Retail Optimiser reported. The drugstore operator wants to use the platform to ensure that the product range and shelf space are optimally adapted to the very different store sizes. The AI-powered Symphony AI shelf planning application takes into account real-time space constraints, merchandising strategies and local customer preferences to create customised shelf layouts that best meet customer needs and achieve optimal operational results.
