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Prénatal Retail Uses RELEX to Unify the Supply Chains of Three Leading Retail Brands

Feb 1, 2018 2 min

Children’s product group Prénatal Retail will use RELEX Solutions’ system to integrate the supply chain management of three well-known childcare brands – Prénatal, Toys Center and Bimbostore. The three retail chains, which have approximately 240 directly operated stores in Italy, used different systems and approaches to supply chain management before the creation of the Prénatal Retail group in 2015.

Prénatal Retail sought a solution that could merge supply chain management for the three brands, so they could run a unified and far more efficient operation. As a result, the group aims to reduce its inventory while increasing product availability across its retail network.

RELEX has a proven track record in working with companies to replace multiple systems – often the result of growth through acquisition – with a single solution. Prénatal Retail reached out to RELEX Solutions and quickly realized that the flexibility and agility of its system could help them realize their goals.

The implementation started with teams from Prénatal Retail and RELEX collaborating to create consolidated historical data and optimize the forecasting process as a base for replenishment. The project began in November 2016 and the pilot went live in April 2017 for store and DC replenishment of the Infant Care product categories in selected Bimbostore and Toys Center stores. The RELEX system roll out for the Infant Care categories is currently being completed.

Based on the success of the first phase of the implementation, Prénatal Retail decided to immediately start the second phase of the project that involves the textile assortment. This solution is expected to go live in the first half of 2018.

We wanted a solution to act as the ‘glue’ to bind our merged operations together and drive us towards our goals of improving availability and reducing inventory

“We wanted a solution to act as the ‘glue’ to bind our merged operations together and drive us towards our goals of improving availability and reducing inventory,” says Mrs. Mara Morandi, CIO of Prénatal Retail. “RELEX is exactly what we needed.”

“The Prénatal team has shown extraordinary commitment to the project,” says Alessandro Rossi, Implementation Project Manager at Prénatal Retail. “Both RELEX and Prénatal showed great flexibility and willingness to cooperate and achieve the expected results.”

According to Jarno Martikainen, RELEX’s Country Director, Italy, “The Prénatal project has been a fantastic challenge for RELEX and RELEX Italy. The basic forecasting and replenishment logic we implemented is built on standard functionality of RELEX software. However, developing for example the assortment mechanisms across the three high profile retail chains together with the Prénatal team has been very rewarding”.

About Prénatal Retail Group
The Prénatal Retail Group was formed through a joint venture between the Artsana and Giochi Preziosi groups in 2015 to bring together the well-known childcare brands Prénatal, Toys Center and Bimbostore in Italy, as well as King Jouet in Switzerland and France. Since October 2017, Artsana has been the sole shareholder of the group, having taken over all remaining shares. Combining Prénatal wide assortment for new mothers and children up to 8 years of age, Bimbostore conveniently-priced range for babies and children up to 4 years and Toys Center and King Jouet toys, the Prénatal Retail Group provides a complete offering to young families.

More information: www.prenatalretailgroup.com/