Vallarta Supermarkets leverages AI for planning

One of the largest Latino-owned supermarket chains in California is utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance space and assortment planning.

Los Angeles-based Vallarta Supermarkets is implementing use space and assortment planning technology from Relex Solutions in an effort to better utilize space, increase product availability, and enhance customer service. 

Managing 30,000 SKUs across its 55 stores in Southern California, Vallarta Supermarkets must consider localization needs and unique shopper preferences in its planning. The retailer’s objective is to refine its assortment strategy and optimize store layout to achieve more effective space use and ensure a wider availability of products. 

Overall, Vallarta Supermarkets’ goal with these improvements will be to support growth, enhance efficiency, drive better profitability, and ensure customer satisfaction. The retailer will obtain data-driven insights which it intends to use to better understand the performance of individual categories and assign the right amount of space to each category and each product in each store. 

Specifically, the retailer plans to enhance store layouts and category/product flows of stores or departments for optimal placement of best-selling items. As a result, Vallarta Supermarkets hopes to maximize sales and ensure customer satisfaction. 

In addition, the grocer seeks to create shopper-focused, store-specific assortments and planograms which will lead to optimized inventory and space utilization, improved margins, and reduced supply chain costs.

Relex partner Logic will provide guidance and implementation services for this deployment.

"We are confident that Relex will help us to achieve our goals by enhancing our assortment planning and space utilization," said John Sellers, senior VP of merchandising, Vallarta Supermarkets. "Relex’s focus on delivering measurable value aligns with our principle of providing the best for our customers, ensuring we continue to celebrate and serve our communities effectively."

"We are thrilled to work with Vallarta Supermarkets for their long-term success and growth plans," said Keith Adams, senior VP, North America, Relex. "This collaboration is built on a shared dedication to delivering measurable, swift results, leveraging our extensive experience in the grocery sector to meet Vallarta’s unique needs."

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