Asda’s supply chain director Andy Ellis has said that the retailer will examine its flow of goods to stores in 2007, and through collaboration with suppliers and an evaluation of its internal systems the UK subsidiary of Wal-Mart hopes to improve product availability in the coming year.
Speaking at the IGD Supply Chain Summit in London yesterday (9 November), Ellis said that Asda intends to look at how it orders products from suppliers, optimise space management, improve operational accuracy and the physical flow of products into its stores in 2007.
“We have got lots of opportunities to improve availability,” he said, suggesting that the best way to achieve this is through improved forecasting and collaboration with suppliers.
“We are all in this together as a retailer and supplier. Unless the product is in front of a customer we are all loosing money,” he said. “Its about building relationships… We need to do everything we can to get the products in front of the customer.”
