Case Study: Berkshire Co-op Market achieves perpetual inventory and stronger bottom-line results with ECRS

A Case Study in Creating Bottom-Line Results through Inventory Automation

Berkshire Co-Op Market, a single-location cooperative in Great Barrington, MA with 3,400 Owners and over 10,000 products, faced an aging POS, unclear inventory value, and inefficient ordering that harmed margins and Owner service. In 2009 they selected ECRS and its CATAPULT platform (including Order Assist/DemandFill and Supplier Gateway) to replace the legacy system and provide cooperative-specific reporting, membership management, and inventory automation.

ECRS implemented CATAPULT with DemandFill auto-replenishment, Supplier Gateway integration (working with suppliers such as UNFI and Solgar), and hands-on consultant support to clean data and train buyers. Early measurable results from the Wellness test department include a 7% decrease in inventory value and a 6% uplift in sales, along with fewer out-of-stocks and dead stock, improved staff productivity and morale, and a scalable path toward full perpetual inventory.

Berkshire Co-Op Market

Art Ames

General Manager