Case Study: BIG W optimizes books inventory and shelf availability with Algo

BIG W boosts shelf availability with Algo

big w, a major australian retailer with over 20% market share in books, faced significant challenges in its highly dynamic book category. The challenges included managing up to 900 new titles monthly, competing on price and promotions, processing orders efficiently, and tailoring its product range to individual stores. To address this, big w partnered with vendor Algo to implement its service model for supply chain planning.

Algo's solution provided big w with a fluid, weekly-changing product range and dynamic lifecycle management, allowing for optimized allocation and replenishment based on consumer demand. This tailored approach from Algo resulted in an optimized inventory position with maximized sell-through rates, minimal returns, and a reduced markdown strategy. The implementation led to a significant increase in shelf availability, a reduction in weeks of supply, a baseline sales increase, and an improvement in return rates.

BIG W