Scaling Pet Retail Operations Through Strategic Automation
PetXL is a Norwegian specialty retailer serving pet owners across the country with an extensive range of pet food, accessories, and supplies. Operating 15 stores alongside two online platforms, the company manages a vast assortment of 10,000 SKUs as part of the Pet Pawr Group.
By spring 2023, PetXL recognized that their manual purchasing processes and lack of systematic reporting were creating significant operational bottlenecks. The absence of automated systems meant inventory decisions were both time-consuming and prone to human error. Manual purchasing consumed valuable resources while poor reporting capabilities limited visibility into performance across operations. Most critically, the company struggled to effectively balance inventory volumes between physical locations and their e-commerce channel, leading to suboptimal stock distribution throughout their network.
Without automated forecasting and replenishment, PetXL’s planning team found themselves constantly firefighting, reacting to stockouts and overstock situations rather than proactively managing inventory levels. The lack of systematic processes made it challenging to maintain consistent availability across their extensive product range while controlling inventory investment.
Comprehensive Vendor Evaluation Leads to RELEX Selection
Recognizing the need for systematic transformation, PetXL initiated a vendor search process in spring 2023 with clearly defined objectives. They sought a solution that could automate ringfencing and prioritize stock between locations, provide advanced forecasting capabilities, and a flexible, scalable platform that could support their growth.
During the evaluation process, PetXL prioritized vendors who demonstrated strong automation capabilities, system flexibility, and proven results with similar retail customers. The ability to effectively manage omnichannel inventory allocation was critical, as the company needed to optimize stock distribution between their 16 stores and expand e-commerce operations. RELEX emerged as the preferred choice, selected for its automation capabilities, flexibility, and track record with similar reference customers. The vendor selection was completed in early fall 2023, with the project kicking off in January 2024.
PetXL implemented the RELEX end-to-end supply chain and demand planning solution, including advanced forecasting, replenishment, and inventory optimization capabilities. This holistic approach was designed to address PetXL’s primary objectives: reducing days in stock, decreasing delivery frequency, and achieving higher availability across all product groups without increasing stock levels.
A key success factor was the expertise within PetXL’s team. Both the super user and project owner had previous RELEX experience at other companies, providing valuable background knowledge that contributed to a smooth implementation. The project followed an efficient timeline, launching in July 2024.
Delivering Measurable Improvements Across Key Metrics
The RELEX platform has delivered significant improvements across PetXL’s critical performance indicators, demonstrating the impact of transitioning from manual processes to intelligent automation. The results were achieved through best practice configuration, illustrating how standardized RELEX functionality can drive substantial value for retailers managing complex assortments. Store operations experienced a notable improvement in availability, with a 1.37 percentage point increase that directly translates to improved customer satisfaction and reduced lost sales. In parallel, PetXL optimized inventory levels, decreasing store inventory value by 16%. This combination of higher availability and lower inventory represents optimal retail performance.
DC results were even more substantial. Inventory turnover increased by 21%, from 5.93 to 7.18, indicating significantly more efficient use of working capital. Simultaneously, DC inventory value decreased by 23%, freeing up considerable capital while maintaining service levels. These improvements demonstrate how AI-driven demand planning can optimize entire supply chain networks. The transition to automated processes was remarkably swift. After going live, PetXL reviewed order proposals manually for just two weeks before moving to full automation. This rapid confidence-building period contributed significantly to the time savings achieved, as the planning team now dedicates minimal time to daily order management tasks.
Beyond quantitative improvements, RELEX delivered additional operational benefits that extend the platform’s value. The system’s intuitive interface simplified manual report setup and enabled scheduled reporting jobs for stakeholders. Improved master data analysis capabilities also provided new insights into inventory performance and optimization opportunities.
Most significantly, RELEX has transformed PetXL’s approach to supply chain management. David Berggren, Chief Supply Chain Officer, explains: “We’ve moved from working in a troubleshooting perspective to a more strategic approach, putting less time into daily standard tasks which are now automated. And, of course, we’ve lowered inventory value while still increasing availability.”
The shift from reactive to proactive management has freed valuable time for strategic initiatives. Where the team previously spent hours on manual purchasing tasks and addressing inventory issues, they can now focus on higher-value activities like vendor relationship management, assortment optimization, and business development.
Enabling Strategic Focus Through Intelligent Automation
This successful implementation has positioned PetXL with a strong foundation for continued growth. By replacing manual, error-prone processes with intelligent automation, the company has created scalable operations that can adapt to changing market conditions and support expansion initiatives.
The combination of improved availability, optimized inventory levels, and improved operational efficiency has strengthened PetXL’s competitive position. The platform’s ability to manage 10,000 SKUs across multiple channels with minimal manual intervention provides the agility needed to respond quickly to market opportunities and evolving customer demands.
With RELEX, PetXL has demonstrated how specialty retailers can achieve significant operational improvements while maintaining the service levels customers expect. Looking ahead, PetXL will continue their growth journey as part of the Pet Pawr Group as RELEX’s scope will be expanded to include the other retailer in the group, ZOO.se. Building on the proven results at PetXL, this next phase will ensure the wider group benefits from the same efficiencies and value creation.