Marthinus Ferreira

Head of Inventory Optimization at Choppies.

"Slimstock's platform has played a pivotal role in helping us reduce inventory levels by $1.4m while still enabling significant sales growth"

Delivering fresh products is critical for success for Choppies, Africa’s leading food retailer. Committed to providing an industry-leading standard in customer experience, Choppies adopted Slimstock’s supply chain planning platform to achieve fantastic results: 50% less excess inventory and a 10% increase in sales.

Established in 1986, Choppies has established a reputation as a one-stop-shop in the communities it serves. Facing significant challenges in managing their 177-strong store network across Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Namibia, Choppies struggled to maintain optimal inventory levels.

Embracing cutting-edge supply chain tech

Marthinus Ferreira, Head of Inventory Optimization at Choppies, explains: “With such a diverse range of products and services, we had to take proactive steps to combat stockouts, excessive stockholding, and waste. To address these challenges, we needed a reliable partner with experience in the food industry.”

To attain a healthier inventory balance, Choppies joined forces with Slimstock. Following the rapid adoption of Slimstock’s AI-powered supply chain planning platform, Choppies has benefited from improved supply chain visibility, enabling the business to make more informed decisions.

Results

Leveraging Slimstock’s advanced supply chain planning platform, Choppies experienced outstanding results:

  • -50% reduction in excess inventory while simultaneously increasing sales by 10%.
  • 17% reduction in stock.
  • Improved data-driven decision-making, resulting in enhanced operational efficiency.

Better availability with less stock

Leveraging Slim4’s advanced forecasting capabilities, Choppies witnessed a marked improvement in product availability throughout its retail network. Furthermore, by implementing Slim4’s sophisticated optimisation capabilities, Choppies significantly reduced their overall stockholding levels. This strategic move unlocked valuable capital and substantially enhanced operational efficiency.

Marthinus explains, “Amidst a background of new store openings and market inflation, Slimstock’s supply chain planning platform has played a pivotal role in helping us reduce inventory levels by $1.4m while still enabling significant sales growth.”

Improved Efficiency

By helping the food retailer to identify emerging trends, anticipate market fluctuations, and proactively respond to changing consumer preferences, Slimstock was a powerful catalyst in empowering Choppies to make more data-driven decisions.

Furthermore, through automating routine tasks, streamlining workflows, and optimising inventory levels, Slim4 enabled Choppies to achieve substantial cost savings while maximising operational productivity.

Marthinus highlights, “With Slimstock’s support, our performance for the second half of 2023 was much stronger than in the first half as our strategies, leadership and supply chain optimisation technology have started to bear fruit.”

Next Steps

Through its partnership with Slimstock and the implementation of Slim4, Choppies has successfully overcome its supply chain challenges, driving growth, efficiency, and customer satisfaction across its retail operations. With Slimstock’s innovative solutions, Choppies is well-positioned to thrive in the competitive retail landscape of Southern Africa.

Having been impressed by the results so far, Marthinus and his team are now extending the use of Slimstock’s solution to generate value in other strategic markets.