In our modern digitised era, retail businesses can reap tremendous economic advantages by employing real-time analytics to fine-tune their operations. This Whitepaper's pivotal focus is to demonstrate, through real-world examples and case studies, how real-time analytics can bolster On-Shelf Availability (OSA), explain data monetisation with practical applications, and underscore the critical role of demand forecasting in devising optimal product line strategies.

Leveraging Real-Time Analytics: The Real-World Value

‍Real-time analytics, the process of capturing, analysing, and interpreting data instantly as it enters the system, brings a broad spectrum of applications to a retail environment. These applications range from monitoring inventory levels to understanding customer behaviour.

Consider the case of Walmart, one of the largest global retailers. By employing real-time analytics, Walmart could quickly adapt to changing dynamics and prevent stock-outs, thereby ensuring high OSA levels. This strategy led to an increase in customer satisfaction and more successful transactions, underlining the economic benefits.

The Real-World Application of Data Monetisation

‍Data monetisation involves converting collected data into economic value, either directly by selling the data or indirectly by improving business decision-making. Real-time data offers valuable insights into consumer preferences and purchasing trends, empowering businesses to optimise their operations and make data-driven decisions.

For instance, take the case of Tesco, a leading UK supermarket chain. Tesco provided real-time data to its suppliers, helping them understand the market better and manage their supply chains more efficiently. This collaboration helped prevent stock-outs, minimise lead times, and maintain a steady supply of in-demand items, leading to increased OSA and significant revenue growth through data monetisation.

The Importance of Demand Forecasting and Product Line Management

‍Real-time analytics dramatically enhances demand forecasting, an essential aspect of inventory management. It enables retailers to predict customer demand accurately for various items and manage their product lines more effectively.

Amazon provides a striking example of this in action. Their precise demand forecasting, powered by real-time analytics, resulted in lowered inventory costs, improved turnover rates, and increased profitability. It also allowed Amazon to cater to their customers' needs more effectively, creating a superior customer experience, fostering customer loyalty, and improving market positioning.

Unleashing the Economic Benefits of Real-Time Analytics

‍The integration of real-time analytics and data monetisation offers several tangible benefits to retailers:

1. Increased On-Shelf Availability: As demonstrated by Walmart, real-time analytics allows retailers to monitor their inventory levels instantaneously and take immediate action to prevent stock-outs, leading to enhanced OSA, higher sales, and improved customer satisfaction.
2. Stronger Supplier Relationships: As illustrated by Tesco's example, offering real-time data to suppliers can strengthen collaboration, boost supply chain efficiency, and prevent stock-outs, generating a mutually beneficial situation for both parties.
3. New Revenue Opportunities: As shown in Tesco's case, data monetisation can create new revenue streams for retailers, ranging from direct data sales to suppliers to partnerships based on shared data insights.
4. Optimal Inventory Management: As exemplified by Amazon, real-time demand forecasting can lead to superior inventory management. Recognising customer demand patterns enables retailers to manage their product lines effectively, which in turn reduces inventory costs and heightens turnover rates.
5. Improved Customer Experience: As shown by Amazon, by offering products aligned with immediate customer needs, retailers can enhance customer experience, cultivate loyalty, and secure a competitive edge in the market.

Conclusion

In today's dynamic retail environment, employing real-time analytics has transitioned from being a luxury to an absolute necessity. The potential to augment On-Shelf Availability and open up new revenue channels through data monetisation underscores the clear benefits.

Enter Tapestry's innovative platforms: Retail+ and Supply+. These platforms are designed to bring real-time analytics and data monetisation into the heart of your retail operations. With Retail+, retailers gain access to real-time inventory, sales data, and customer insights, empowering them to make swift, informed decisions that enhance OSA and improve customer satisfaction.

While, Supply+ offers a powerful solution for data monetisation. By facilitating seamless data sharing between retailers and suppliers, it enables improved supply chain efficiency, stronger supplier relationships, and opens up fresh revenue stream.

The application of real-time analytics, coupled with smart data monetisation, paves the way for retailers to unlock unprecedented economic benefits, improve their market positioning, and deliver a superior customer experience. The transformational impact of Tapestry's Retail+ and Supply+ provides a compelling case study in the power of these tools, providing a future-forward blueprint for success in retail.

In the modern retail landscape, leveraging the combined power of Retail+ and Supply+ isn't just a competitive advantage—it's an essential strategy for success.