Quality forecasting for grocers, quality products for customers

Calimax elevates product quality and availability with SAS for retail demand planning

Freshness and quality are harbingers of success for grocers, and Calimax, a leading Mexican grocery chain, is answering their call. By harnessing an intelligent demand planning solution from SAS, Calimax ensures its customers consistently receive top-quality produce at the right time and the right price. This commitment to excellence sets Calimax apart from its competitors while boosting customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

What began in 1939 as a small grocery and meat store in Tijuana, Mexico, is now a major chain of approximately 100 supermarkets throughout the country’s northwest region. Today, Calimax has over 6,000 employees and sells more than 20,000 products to its loyal customers.

Even with a dedicated Calimax Distribution Center – one of the most modern in the country – and a fleet of more than 200 delivery trucks, keeping such a vast chain stocked with fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, bread and dairy products at affordable prices is a formidable task. That’s why Calimax turned to SAS for a sophisticated forecasting and demand planning solution.

Optimize inventory, improve efficiency and lower costs

The freshness and quality of perishables can change rapidly – often within days or even hours. Prices fluctuate weekly and margins are tight, adding complexity to accurate forecasting.

Retail demand planning from SAS provides several benefits for handling the complexities of perishable goods:

• Improved forecast accuracy across multiple categories, including fresh produce, meats, baked goods and daily.
• Reduced spoilage and inventory expenses.
• Significantly enhanced supply chain efficiency.

Using SAS for demand planning, Calimax transformed its forecasting and inventory management approach. The results were outstanding.

SAS helped Calimax achieve precise forecasts, ensuring its stores were stocked with fresh, high-quality produce and goods. This not only enhanced customer satisfaction, it improved operational efficiency and lowered costs, allowing Calimax to pass savings on to its customers.

Addressing grocers’ unique challenges

Calimax’s journey underscores the broader challenges all grocers face in predicting and planning demand for perishables. The dynamic nature of pricing, rapid product expiration and the sheer volume of demand forecasts required for multiple stores and categories necessitate a sophisticated approach.

SAS for retail demand planning enables grocers to model and forecast the products they will sell in each of their locations with pinpoint accuracy.

Benefits include:

• Decreased losses in perishable sections.
• Reduced excess inventory.
• Increased revenue from regular perishable sales.
• Increased on-shelf availability of popular premium channel perishables.

Calimax’s partnership with SAS demonstrates that with the right tools and support, grocers can meet and exceed customer expectations, ensuring the freshest products are always available on shelves.