Optimising in-store processes at AS Watson

AS Watson is the umbrella group behind such retail chains as Superdrug, Kruidvat, ICI Paris and Marionnaud, operating around 8900 stores in 54 countries around the world. To streamline the group’s global logistics processes and optimise stock levels, Watson called on the expertise of Zetes to develop a customised inventory management solution for the retail group.

Maximum service, minimum inventory

Zetes’ solution enables Watson to manage goods movements by central replenishment, which means that placing orders has become superfluous at the stores and stock-taking is only necessary every two or three years instead of annually. A new ´track and trace´ system also meticulously monitors all movements between the central warehouse and the stores, virtually eliminating delivery errors.

A successful implementation

Zetes’ advanced Retail Store Inventory Management Solution is already making a positive impact in 22 countries within Watson’s retail network with a further 7 earmarked for inclusion next year:

• Optimal goods management thanks to flexible stock-taking solution 
• Comprehensive track & trace minimises stock losses 
• Significant reduction in surplus stock and staff costs 
• Greatly simplified stock-taking and ordering system 
• Stock-taking has gone from an annual event to every two or even three years
• Currently deployed in 22 countries in 17 languages

New corporation-wide standard

Another major advantage of the new system is that it replaces previously incompatible country systems with one, uniform standard. The new solution enables the integration and analysis of inventories in any of the 22 countries currently using the Zetes solution. As part of the group’s future-proof investment, AS Watson is also considering expanding the solution with voice applications in stores to further optimise its business processes.