en ar

Retail

Few sectors have experienced such seismic changes over recent years as the retail sector.

High street footfall has steadily declined over the past two decades and revenues have stagnated. Online retail’s boom has transformed consumer trends, with people accessing information and making buying decisions around the clock. Consumers are far more price-savvy and demanding, and there’s ever more diversity and customer segmentation.

Meanwhile, brand loyalty has declined, thanks to a vast expansion of choice and the effects of globalization. Since 1997, product innovations have increased by 11% year on year, while the ‘flop rate’ for the same period has risen from 60% to 69%. So, in an increasingly competitive and segmented marketplace, there is less margin for error than ever.

Inventory management has always been important, but today it’s crucial to success. Our market-proven transformation expertise, rooted in Lean and cutting-edge digital technologies, is based on a holistic view of the entire supply chain, and implementing a smart, digital and agile retail process. One that quickly ensures long-term, sustainable profitability and growth.

Our focus is on optimizing flow at every stage of the process – from transportation to warehousing, to delivery and stocking shelves. And we’ve achieved this for several notable clients. 

By implementing a Lean digital transformation approach in your retail business, you can free up your staff from stock management and merchandising to focus on the most important thing of all: the customer. Lean “digitally-informed” retail means enhanced, personal service, and a proven strategy to increase sales and loyalty. 

Lastest Publications #retail

#Banking #Capabilities #Industries #Lean #Publication #Retail
Best practise

LEAN RETAIL BANKING

Since the heydays of investment banking seem to be over, attention is again turning to the retail side of banking to deliver steady profits and stable funding that banks need to regain the support of investors. It seems that the timing for retail banking is right to regain attention, since consumers are evidently changing their ways of interaction with retail banks through the use of mobile technology. Yet a central discussion point remains: the future of the bank branch. Will branches, who have been prematurely reported dead several times over the last decades, join the same fate as book stores, music stores and travel agents which keep on disappearing from high streets globally? Or is trust still paramount in retail banking, where people will leave their savings only with banks that have a vast network of branches symbolising their stability?

Read more

#Capabilities #Industries #Lean #Publication #Retail
Best practise

LEAN RETAIL

Traditionally, the retail industry has been focusing on early technology adoption as a major driver to improve its bottom line. In the 1980s, unique packaging codes/barcodes together with point-of-sale systems were implemented to boost efficiency and accuracy. In the 1990s more complex planning tools for forecasting, merchandising, smart warehousing/distribution and pricing were introduced to retail operations. And finally, in the 2000s, cross channel integration, ERP platforms, online stores, and pricing/markdown tools were implemented. Still missing, until now, are major improvements/investments in inventory management processes between central warehouse/depots to retail stores/outlets and within retail stores (in-house logistics) themselves. While RFID technology and item-level inventory management systems are considered to be technologies to once again drive retailers’ bottom line, we at Four Principles believe that these technologies, as with any other technology, deliver their full potential only when implemented in combination with a continuous improvement process following and adopting Lean principles (technology follows process - and not the other way round).

Read more

Digital - not a problem for us

Empower your business for the digital age with our expert guidance

Latest Projects #retail

Any questions #retail?

Let's get in touch

James Ryan

Partner

Dubai, UAE

jar@fourprinciples.com

Seif Shieshakly

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Riyadh, KSA

sis@fourprinciples.com

We’ll leave you transformed

Our vision is to be the highest quality and most reliable partner for our clients on their lean journey to become the most efficient and effective competitors in their industries.

About us