The first speaker at the Retail & Wholesale Summit 2023, Marc Den Boogert from Deloitte, highlighted key trends and challenges in the industry. Gen. Z's changing shopping habits, the growing importance of sustainability, and the integration of customer-centric channels were discussed. The last mile in the supply chain emerged as a crucial battleground. Furthermore, the summit emphasized the need for effective tactical planning, bridging the gap between short-term and long-term strategies. Marc's insights underscored the importance of proactive problem-solving to prevent firefighting, reduce costs, and ultimately enhance the consumer experience. The retail landscape is evolving, and strategic, aligned planning is key to staying ahead.

Paul Kapellas, Director Last Mile Services at Peapod Digital Labs – Ahold Delhaize US, highlighted key phases of their collaboration with ORTEC. The relationship, initiated over pizza in Chicago, aimed to evolve their e-commerce capabilities to meet changing market demands. The three-phase approach successfully replaced outdated routing solutions, leading to impressive results, including a 75% same-day delivery rate. The collaboration with ORTEC enabled Peapod Digital Labs to achieve significant savings, enhance efficiency, and position themselves for future growth, marking a pivotal success in their journey.

In the next compelling session, James Dwight, Senior Business Consultant at ORTEC, shared insights into a significant retail store delivery case. With over a decade of experience, James outlined the complexities of optimizing grocery store delivery for a large European retailer. The case delved into the heart of business operations—the supply chain—addressing challenges such as extensive planning centers, diverse store locations, and high daily delivery volumes. ORTEC's role in this dynamic landscape involved not only tackling operational hurdles like driver shortages but also optimizing planning for in-store execution. James highlighted the journey towards continuous improvement, emphasizing a transition from localized planning to a centralized, automated process. The partnership with customers, seen as a mutual exchange of insights and innovation, reflects ORTEC's commitment to meeting the evolving demands of the retail industry.

The Retail & Wholesale Summit 2023 showcased exciting developments in leveraging smart innovations for proactive decision-making in the complex world of B2B planning. Suzanne Thomasson, Analytics Industry Lead at ORTEC, presented a vision of the future where data-driven insights mirror our everyday lives, seamlessly integrating into the operational landscape. With a focus on grocery delivery, the summit highlighted the challenges faced and innovative solutions underway, including experiments with proactive suggestions, enhanced planning accuracy through machine learning, and the integration of smart analytics into operational tools. The key takeaway emphasized the imminent fusion of technology and decision-making in the retail industry, promising improved efficiency, sustainability, and customer satisfaction.