Natsu Foods has chosen our AI-based optimisation solution to supply retailers even more in line with shoppers' demand, with healthy sushi and convenience items from its own production. The Neuss-based company supplies over 1,200 stores, including outlets of the Rewe and Edeka groups, in direct store deliveries on a consignment basis. Natsu Foods takes care of shelf management for the retailers and bears the full commercial risk itself, remaining the owner of the goods until they are sold.
Both optimising the product range and forecasting sales of the short-life sushi and convenience products pose a particular challenge, as customers' purchasing decisions for these products are often impulse-driven and fluctuate greatly with external factors such as the weather and calendar effects.
After an extensive test in one region of Germany in the first quarter, Natsu opted for the solution. The specialists compared their actual sales with the planning data from their previous process and the AI-based suggestions. The test showed that with the optimisation, Natsu delivers significantly more accurate quantities than with its previous planning, and this without a higher number of returns.
"With planning that takes substitution effects in our range into account, we can significantly improve product availability without increasing the number of returns."
Jan Meier, Managing Director of the Natsu Group
Jan Meier sees a particular advantage in the fact that the solution not only reliably forecasts sales quantities per item, but also takes substitution effects in the range into account and optimises the assortment store by store. On the collaboration he says: "We set up the test really quickly together and were able to complete it on schedule with meaningful insights. Communication with the AIPERIA team is very efficient."
Unlike other planning solutions, AIPERIA always optimises its customers' profit, taking the cost of goods into account rather than focusing on turnover alone. This is particularly important given the short shelf life of sushi and convenience products. With our solution, Natsu will not only optimise its planning but gradually automate it, relieving the management team of planning tasks.
"Natsu's decision is a particular pleasure for us, as it shows that our solution, with which we have achieved considerable success in the bakery industry, is also excellently suited to optimising other fresh and ultra-fresh product ranges."
Franz Seubert, CEO of AIPERIA