Symphony RetailAI

Retail companies in the German speaking countries are already achieving efficiency gains, as demonstrated by practical examples of artificial intelligence at the checkout processes at Netto, at Rewe Group and in store layout planning at Rossmann. The use of AI in sales support and task management at M-Preis demonstrates how the technology makes employees’ work easier. AI also provides tips…

Rossmann is rolling out a new self-checkout concept. Selected stores will receive Diebold Nixdorf Easy Express All-in-One or Beetle POS systems integrated into furniture from shopfitter Kesseböhmer. The drugstore operator has already installed more than 400 of these systems. The retailer told the Retail Optimiser that in the long term, all stores are to be equipped with self-checkouts.

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…

While Lidl has already implemented the new self-checkouts throughout Romania, the major roll-out in Germany, as well as in other countries such as Spain and Italy, will apparently start in Lidl's next financial year, which begins in March and ends in February 2025.

Germany's largest retail organisation, Edeka Group, will optimise the orders and stocks of all its stores and distribution centres with the AI-based software platform of Relex. The decision represents a Copernican shift in the Edeka Group's IT strategy. Until now, the German retail giant has managed its inventory management systems exclusively with SAP and SAP partner solutions.

Relex Solutions has acquired Formulate, a Swedish promotion planning and analytics company. One of the joint users of Formulate and Relex is the Swedish Coop, whose Värmland region is one of Relex's early customers in the field of inventory optimisation, but also staff planning.

Drugstore chain Müller has implemented automated replenishment at its four central logistic hubs. It thus expands deployment of the Relex Living Retail Platform, which the company is already using for forecasting and replenishment of its stores.

Walmart has terminated its contract with start-up Bossa Nova Robotics and will no longer use robots for stock-taking in its stores. German retail CIOs are also sceptical about robots on the sales floor.

Rossmann has implemented Category Management Software from Symphony RetailAI for the automatic creation of store-specific planograms.

French retail group Les Mousquetaires will manage the entire supply chain of its Intermarché and Netto banners with Symphony RetailAI's Forecasting and Replenishment Software Gold.