Now live! The State of Supply Chain 2024: Retail and CPG Dynamics - Download here

menu-close

Couche-Tard and RELEX Partner to Amplify North American Operations  

Mar 20, 2024 2 min

Couche-Tard aims to enhance efficiency and customer experience across North American stores with AI-driven supply chain and retail planning technology.

Alimentation Couche-Tard (Couche-Tard), a global leader in convenience and mobility, and RELEX Solutions, a provider of unified supply chain and retail planning solutions, today announced an agreement that will implement the RELEX unified supply chain and retail planning solutions across Couche-Tard’s North America operations.  Through the agreement, the RELEX AI-powered and machine-learning solutions, including demand forecasting, replenishment, and advanced space and floor planning, will support the retailer’s Circle K and Couche-Tard locations in the U.S. and Canada.

Circle K Convenience store

Utilizing the automated RELEX demand forecasting and replenishment solutions, Circle K aims to enhance inventory management by optimizing store stock levels, while ensuring products are available when and where customers need them. This strategic decision aligns with Couche-Tard’s vision to become the world’s preferred destination for convenience and mobility.

By integrating these advanced systems into their North American stores, Couche-Tard plans to improve its merchandising strategy by evolving how space decisions are made as well as how product replenishment is managed throughout the organization. This unified approach not only improves customer satisfaction but also enhances overall store performance and efficiency. 

The decision to implement RELEX is propelled by a need for a more integrated inventory management system capable of managing the scale and complexity of Couche-Tard’s operations. This change is expected to optimize inventory levels, significantly reduce out-of-stocks, and improve the effectiveness of merchandising and internal team efficiency. Since 2017, RELEX has provided Couche-Tard’s European business with measurable results after implementing a unified supply chain and store and floor planning solution.  

“Key to our mission to make our customers’ lives a little easier every day is ensuring we always have the products and brands they want, when they want them, which is why we are very pleased to incorporate RELEX solutions into our North American operations,” said Trey Powell, SVP Global Merchandising for Alimentation Couche-Tard. “With RELEX, we can tailor advanced forecasting and inventory management to the needs of our individual stores and streamline our internal processes for better efficiency to provide the best quality products and a  best-in-class customer experience.”  

“We are honored by Circle K’s trust as they implement our unified solutions across their North American operations,” said Keith Adams, Senior Vice President of North America at RELEX.  “Their trust in our solution’s capabilities is a reflection of our commitment to delivering value through our unified platform. We are confident that our solutions will significantly contribute to Circle K’s journey towards operational excellence and further strengthen our long-standing relationship.”