Sobeys Reports Benefits From Fresh Item Management

MICHAEL GARRY

NEW YORK — Sobeys, Stellarton, Nova Scotia, has achieved better in-stock position, improved sales and margins, and reduced shrink in perishable departments through the implementation of a fresh item management system, said Clinton Keay, senior vice president and chief information officer for the retailer.

Speaking Sunday at the National Retail Federation’s 99th Annual Convention & Expo here, Keay described Sobeys' adoption of the system, which its stores use to track perishables shrink, plan production and order products. Sobeys, Canada’s second largest food retailer with 1,332 stores, has completed the implementation in its Atlantic region, while its other three regions across Canada are in different stages of deployment.

“The business pushed us to move [the implementation] faster because of the benefits received at the store level,” he said, adding “the ROI is quite significant.”

The system was provided by Invatron, Mississauga, Ontario.

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