Case Study: Hobbycraft achieves 20% stock reduction while maintaining service levels with Slimstock's Slim4

Hobbycraft Reduce Stock By 20% Without Impacting Service Levels

HobbyCraft, based in Bournemouth and the UK’s leading craft retailer with over 50 stores and superstores carrying some 35,000 SKUs, faced rising complexity from centralised purchasing and more lines sourced from the Far East. Supply Chain Manager Nic Tasker and a team of four planners were struggling with time-consuming legacy systems and the need to maintain high availability while controlling overall stock value, so HobbyCraft engaged Slimstock and its Slim4 forecasting and inventory management solution.

Slimstock implemented Slim4 at HobbyCraft’s national distribution centre, providing exception reporting and improved forecasting that freed planners to focus on problem SKUs, tighten ordering and reduce excess safety stock. As a result, Slimstock’s Slim4 delivered a near 20% reduction in overall stock while maintaining service levels, enabling HobbyCraft to hold more SKUs in the NDC without adding space and supporting a smooth Microsoft Navision ERP rollout.

Hobbycraft

Nic Tasker

Supply Chain Manager