SPAR UK Partner, James Hall & Co, has to date supported 50 independently-owned SPAR stores with the installation of a Centralised Store Replenishment (CSR) system, helping to efficiently and effectively manage store stock levels.

This technology uses store sales and stock levels to generate accurate stock figures and forecasts – cutting out human error and making ordering more efficient. Also operating in the company owned stores, there are now a total of 200 SPAR stores in the region benefiting from this system.

The CSR system monitors and manages product quantities to ensure that the minimum amount of stock is held, while maximising product availability. It also provides useful reports and information to help review slow-selling items. The aim is to optimise stock holding and improve cash flow.

James Hall & Co started trialling the CSR system in their company-owned stores more than 10 years ago. John Walmsley, Retail Systems Advisor at James Hall, said: “We saw around a 1% like-for-like sales increase in the stores on CSR by maximising availability, while also minimising our overall stock holding.

“CSR was adjusted to suit independent retailers and was trialled in 2012. Since then it has been carefully and gradually rolled out, until we began to invite other retailers to join in 2016. Since 2016, we have gone from just a dozen stores using CSR to 50, with more in the pipeline.”

Source: James Hall & Co. Ltd.

About SPAR UK

The United Kingdom became a member of SPAR in 1956. There are five regional partners in the UK with strategically placed Distribution Centres in each region. A Central Office located in London provides national Marketing and Buying services for the group and supports the development of the SPAR Brand in the UK.

SPAR is the UK’s leading convenience retailer with a combined turnover in excess of £12 billion. SPAR celebrated its 60th anniversary in the UK in 2017.