FOOD AND BEVERAGE
CONVENIENCE STORES MUST AUTOMATE OR FACE BEING LEFT BEHIND
C
onvenience retailers looking to stay relevant must improve, streamline, and automate in-store operations to elevate the customer experience. This is according to Andrew Blatherwick, Chairman Emeritus and Advisor at RELEX Solutions. Previously, a convenience store’s main competition was simply another c-store until recently. That’s changed, however, as quick commerce businesses have made aggressive moves into the convenience space, promising delivery of small baskets within as little as 10 minutes. With competition increasing, the value of levelling digital technologies and automation solutions in retail is rising. According to McKinsey, 30% to 40% of retail tasks related to processes such as merchandise planning or the supply chain can be automated.
Andrew Blatherwick stated: “C-stores face unique challenges due to their small footprint and high cost per square foot. They must balance high availability with the ever-present risk of waste and lack of backroom space to hold safety stock. They also need to ensure that their customers can find exactly what they want and quickly make a purchase.”
Space and inventory management are equally important for c-store staff:
• Stores have a limited number of associates available to handle all essential tasks, such as stocking shelves (including fresh items) and keeping aisles free of clutter, while also checking out customers.
• Store-level planograms, which are difficult to create manually, are highly valuable to guide staff in maximizing existing space and optimising replenishment schedules. • Shipments to replenish existing items, stock new products or support short-term promotions must arrive on an as- needed basis and be ready to go direct-to-shelf. Blatherwick continued: “C-stores must move toward a technologically advanced, unified system that uses a single source of data to inform decisions about operational tasks, helping them stay competitive in a rapidly changing landscape where there are so many moving parts to supply chain management. They also need a system to automate these decisions– from replenishment orders, to staff scheduling, to space planning– and further streamline store operations to ensure quality customer service.” Blatherwick concluded: “It’s unlikely that brick-and-mortar convenience stores, five years from now, will be replaced by delivery services. Yet, without striking a careful balance between protecting margins and maximising the shopping experience, c-stores stand to lose in-store customers who would rather pay a bit extra to have their basket come to them, taking a hit to their top and bottom lines.”
Relex
www.relexsolutions.com
WAREHOUSING, HANDLING & STORAGE FOOD & BEVERAGE
MPE LAUNCHES NEW DENESTER DESIGNED TO BOOST OUTPUT
F
lexible denesting automation is the key for giving high volume production lines a flying start. Tray-sealing specialist MPE UK Ltd is launching a new range of denesters that are compatible with nearly all types of packaging material and machinery. Denesters are the ideal high-speed destacking solution for reducing intensive manual intervention and increasing throughput whether the base material is card, plastic or foil. MPE is setting a new benchmark with a compact model that is capable of integrating into any production line, denesting different sizes and shaped trays with a simple five-minute magazine changeover.
MPE’s flexible, high throughput technology is easy to operate and capable of running large format trays, including cardboard packs, while taking up minimal factory floor space. A denester releases employees from the mundane task of loading trays by hand on to a conveyor. Less human error also means less waste and more speed in response to food sectors crying out for sustainable packaging systems. The robust MPE denesters are built with top spec, food grade materials. They can load around 200 trays a minute before filling. The self-regulating system can be used with any flat blue belt or indexing conveyor with full control over speed. MPE can even create a bespoke mount for any new machines requiring this speedy solution. Aside from the environmental and efficiency credentials, denesters like those supplied by MPE, also offer customers better after-sales support as all the electronics can be monitored, updated and serviced remotely, further reducing a company’s carbon footprint.
Developed and manufactured in the UK, MPE’s de-nesters can be bespoke to a customer’s requirements. The need for speed and accuracy at the beginning of a process cannot be overstated. Manually placing products can be slow, inconsistent and prone to error, whereas denesters can be used for a variety of applications to increase performance.
MPE’s Technical Director, John Hodgkiss, explains: “Our innovative new denesters provide food processors of all sizes exactly what they need to stay ahead of the packaging innovation curve. In an ever-changing marketplace it is crucial to keep pace with the latest manufacturing processes, including denesters at the start of the production line. Our equipment can help customers achieve all their objectives including increased productivity and packaging accuracy – thus helping to improve the bottom line and boosting profit margins for any companies involved in the food packaging industry.”
MPE
www.mpe-uk.com FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS | DECEMBER/JANUARY 2023 23 39
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