Case Study: Circle K (international convenience chain) achieves improved availability and 10%+ tobacco inventory reduction with RELEX Solutions

Circle K Unifying Supply Chain and Space Planning

Circle K, the international convenience-store chain owned by Alimentation Couche-Tard, sought to tighten inventory control and improve assortment and planogram compliance across its Scandinavian and Central/Eastern European operations (~15,600 stores). An internal review found missed product introductions, inconsistent planogram adherence and suboptimal ordering processes; the company set targets to raise availability and assortment loyalty by at least 2% and cut tobacco inventory by at least 10%.

In 2016 Circle K selected RELEX’s cloud-based forecasting, replenishment and later space-planning solution, implemented rapidly with a small team. RELEX’s daily transaction tracking, automatic safety/presentation stock adjustments, forecast-based planograms and mobile tools unified store and central workflows. The rollout exceeded expectations—availability and assortment loyalty rose beyond targets, tobacco inventory fell by at least 10% while sales improved—and the solution was expanded across Norway, Sweden, Denmark and other markets.

Circle K

Ole Christian Remen

Head of Supply Chain Europe, Convenience