Case study

With annual turnover in 2010 of approximately £7.5 billion, and approximately 2,800 stores — from convenience stores to petrol forecourts — The Co-operative Group is the UK’s fifth-largest food retailer and the country’s largest mutual retailer. Most stores are roughly 4,000-6,000 square feet, with the largest being around 18,000, and each one is carefully situated in a high-traffic location, which necessitates a greater emphasis on an optimised supply chain. Following its 2009 acquisition of the 600 Somerfield stores, The Co-operative Group saw an opportunity to streamline operations by centralising its store replenishment process, a strategy that will help the firm to save more than £12 million a year while maintaining its market-leading ethical stance.