Bed Bath & Beyond parent company taps AI to unify forecasting, replenishment

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Neighborhood Intelligence, the holding company of retailers including Bed Bath & Beyond and The Container Store, is using artificial intelligence to unify supply chain planning across its stores and distribution network, according to an Oct. 8 press release.

The omnichannel home retailer is specifically leveraging Relex Solutions’ forecasting, replenishment and allocation capabilities across its brand portfolio, according to the press release. The company is also implementing merchandise financial planning, open-to-buy and diagnostics capabilities.

Neighborhood Intelligence operates a network of more than 335 stores and multiple online brands across North America, per the release. With AI-driven forecasting, replenishment, allocation and merchandise financial planning on a single platform, Neighborhood Intelligence expects its teams will have a unified view of the business. 

By moving operations onto a single platform, teams will have more visibility to protect in-stock rates, improve sell-through and make faster informed decisions, according to the release.

“We needed a platform that could allocate across a business growing fast in scale and complexity, all on one intelligent data layer,” Ashley Prado, COO of the retail pillar at Neighborhood Intelligence, said in a statement. “RELEX breaks down the silos between our brands and gives our teams a single place to plan, allocate, and act on the same data, with AI that simplifies and optimizes how our teams work.”

Other retailers have implemented Relex systems and capabilities across their operations to unify and boost supply chain visibility.

In August, Dollar General announced plans to use the vendor’s AI platform to manage store replenishment, supplier coordination, ordering schedules and several other operations. Lowe’s also recently connected its in-house supply chain technology with Relex’s forecasting, replenishment and allocation connecting capabilities. Building on an already existing partnership between the two companies, Lowe’s aims to use a single AI-driven platform to better interpret demand trends and manage inventory positions.

Other companies using Relex include Guitar Center, which is using select models to better manage its distribution network, United Natural Foods, Inc., and convenience store chain Wawa.

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