NASH FINCH SPEEDS UP WITH ITS 'NASHNET'

PETER PERROTTA

MINNEAPOLIS -- Officials at Nash Finch here are hoping a new Web-based information system linking all of its corporate and independent stores will help get new products on the shelf faster.

LeAnne Stewart, vice president and corporate controller, Nash Finch, told SN the new system, called NashNet, will reduce by 24 days the time it typically takes to get new products on the shelves of retailers.

She declined to reveal what the average lead time for this process is though, claiming that information is proprietary.

"The biggest advantage to this system is that new products will be available a lot sooner," Stewart said.

Stewart said Nash Finch recently began rolling out NashNet to some of the 1,500 independent stores it supplies.

"So far 48 [independents] are up and running with it, but that's only the tip of the iceberg," Stewart said.

The new system will also be rolled out to the 111 corporate stores Nash Finch runs, she said.

Stewart said the goal is to have all of the corporate stores up and running on NashNet by the end of next the year.

The remainder of the independent stores Nash Finch supplies will be installed with the new system throughout 2002 as well, Stewart said. .

Stewart said Nash Finch intends on absorbing the cost of the implementation of NashNet, however she declined to reveal the pricetag for the project.

She said that all members who want to use the system need do is to register for a password and identification to gain access.

While it is hard to quantify the return on the investment for Nash Finch, the new system streamlines many of the supply chain processes the company currently has, Stewart said.

"It's not really an ROI-driven thing," Stewart said. "The driving force is that this is a very progressive thing for wholesalers to do.

"It will help with ease to market and will be a better overall operating tool," she explained.

Overall, the new system will provide the corporate and independent stores access to information on merchandising items, promotional offerings, online catalogs, reports, invoices and news.

"This is really going to streamline the information and product availability process," Stewart said.

Stewart explained that one of the more frustrating aspects retailers deal with is not having new products on their shelves when manufacturers start promoting and advertising them.

By cutting down on this lead time, retailers will be better suited to address this problem, Stewart said.

Moreover, officials said NashNet is designed to increase the awareness and ability of retailers to respond online to promotional offerings and deals without having to fax or phone orders in.

In addition, retailers will also have the benefit of getting catalogs, reports and invoices via NashNet. This will reduce the work involved in producing hard copy reports.

"Basically, we're taking all those reams of paper and we are digitalizing it," Stewart said. A big time saver, she added.