BWG Foods, the retailer and wholesaler behind the Spar network, is rolling out a new ShoplinkPro, billed as an intelligent ordering platform.

Developed by US company R4 Technologies, ShopLink Pro, continually uses predictive intelligence to make daily forecasts for retailers based on what consumers will wish to purchase in the future.

ShopLink Pro will be trialled in 22 stores. All going well, BWG will look to provide the solution to independent retailers across its network of over 1,000 Spar, Euurospar, Mace, Londis and XL stores.

According to BWG, ShopLink Pro processes EPOS data from the full retail network while gathering 240 additional data points, from weather and local events to social media as well as demographic and census data.

The system uses the data to compile an analysis of predicted consumer demand for in-store products, allowing for smarter forecasting of stock requirements. Additionally, the solution takes into account business promotions and category management to deliver a 21-day, 14 day and 7-day sales forecast.

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BWG Foods chief information officer Chris Donnelly (pictured) commented: “ShopLink Pro has the potential to be a real game changer for our retailers in 2022, transforming how they manage their offerings by understanding what their customers will wish to purchase in the near future.

“There is huge potential for this solution to transform our operations in relation to category management and product waste, logistics, stock management and to create a genuinely tailored in-store experience that is capable of changing with demand with intelligent predictions and forecasting.”