Carlsberg UK has improved its product availability for key retailer, The Co-op, thanks to the SKUtrak® service provided by Atheon Analytics. Since taking up SKUtrak, Carlsberg has seen significant value by virtue of being able to improve availability across numerous SKUs.

 

As part of the Carlsberg Group, Carlsberg UK has long been brewing and selling some of Britain’s favourite beers. Today, those include Carlsberg, Carlsberg Export, Poretti, Grimbergen and Tuborg, while the Group also holds the UK brand licences for San Miguel, Mahou, and the Brooklyn Brewery range.

 

The Co-op first partnered with Atheon Analytics and their multi-retailer SKUtrak® service, back in July 2018. Since then, the major retailer has shared all its daily ‘Flow-of-Goods’ data with suppliers like Carlsberg through SKUtrak – including sales value, supplier (inbound) service, and availability. Co-op also provides daily email alerts for key performance indicators such as supplier service level and short deliveries to depot, and availability (below target). In addition, suppliers like Carlsberg can choose to access deeper analytics at SKU level for the biggest drivers of stockholding, service levels, availability and waste.

 

Unparalleled visibility

 

Alex Rowell, Head of Convenience at Carlsberg UK Ltd, is responsible for Co-op and Carlsberg’s wider convenience channel. Speaking of how he utilises SKUtrak, he comments: “Currently I’m using SKUtrak for Co-op, and I do so on a daily basis. When you take a look back at the data we had access to before versus now, there’s no comparison. It’s completely changed the way I work – for the better. It is incredible to think that I can see in-depth daily data when previously I was struggling to get any kind of sales data,” he reveals.

 

“I use it daily to check sales and stock holding, and I can also see if there are potential issues about to arise. Additionally, if there’s any further interrogation required, I’m able to use the sales performance, value sales, units and rate of sales to do so. SKUtrak has everything I need for meetings whether they’re commercial or with supply chain managers. We’re also beginning to explore the use of Forecast data through SKUtrak, which will help us even further.”

 

Enhanced availability

 

Since using SKUtrak, Carlsberg says it has seen significant value by virtue of being able to improve availability across a number of its SKUs. “We had an issue in September [2018], following the hotter-than-expected summer where stock levels had fallen. Equipped with the data from SKUtrak, I was able to drop a note to the Co-op supply chain team and subsequently they made a significant order of around 2,000 hectolitres – £400,000 in terms of sales. Ultimately, if we didn’t have the data we wouldn’t have had the visibility and we may not have got those extra sales,” Mr Rowell adds.

 

“Previously we’d receive manually generated reports sporadically and the data was inconsistent. Now, everyone is using aligned systems – so if I’m emailing to say we’ve got availability issues, we’re all singing from the same hymn sheet. I don’t know how else we’d work with the Co-op without it,” he admits. “What’s more, I now have the ability to represent the data visually. It really helps as I can easily demonstrate what’s happening and I’ve got the confidence that my counterparts at the retailer are going to agree with the data being shown because we’re all aligned,” he concludes.

 

More collaborative, better decision-making 

 

The UK’s grocery supply chain is under increasing scrutiny. With a focus on regulatory guidance from the GCA around improving collaborative decision-making, there is growing recognition that traditional retailer-supplier relationships must evolve. 

By making the data freely available to all of its suppliers through SKUtrak, Co-op is putting the information into the hands of its suppliers to truly drive more collaborative, better decision-making.

 

Award-winning visual analytics insight 

 

Formed in 2005, Atheon Analytics provides award-winning visual analytics insight, tools and education to the grocery retail and consumer goods sectors. Its SKUtrak service is the UK’s leading grocery Flow-of-Goods tracker for FMCG suppliers, with over 800 companies using SKUtrak to monitor sales, service and stock levels daily across the UK’s major grocers.

 

The SKUtrak Free (for life) service allows grocery suppliers to: Monitor daily sales, service levels and availability over the past four weeks; Compare performance between their own product categories; and receive SKU-level alerts on price changes and supply issues. SKUtrak Premium services provide further analytics on a paid-for basis.