Smarter supply chains, stronger partnerships
Without innovation and ingenuity, the supplier relationship is today evolving into a true partnership — Canadian distributors are stepping up as strategic collaborators and growth drivers for c-store customers.
The COVID-19 pandemic already exposed the critical importance of supply chain reliability and product availability. Now, the Trump administration’s trade war—with tariffs imposed on goods crossing both borders and a rising “Buy Canadian” movement—has introduced new costs and complexities.
In response, wholesalers are rapidly adopting new technologies that bring clarity, simplicity and smarter management to the supply chain. Several distributors told CSNC they are in the midst of significant tech upgrades.
Many of these updates aim to provide retailers with real-time insights— from live inventory updates to GPS-tracked shipments. By combining intelligent ordering systems, predictive stocking tools and instant delivery alerts, they’re helping store operators plan with precision and act with confidence.
To get a closer look at how distributors are transforming, CSNC caught up with two industry leaders and asked: How are you using technology to innovate, streamline and add real value for your c-store clients?
Brent Newman
Vice-president, Sobeys Wholesale
As a distributor, Sobeys Wholesale is very retail-focused, investing in technology to make it easier for our clients to order and receive product, so that their focus can be on serving their own customers. We spend a lot of time in convenience stores with operators to understand where the friction points are and how technology can improve efficiency in their day-to-day operation.
Using that feedback, we’ve made numerous enhancements to our ordering platform to provide better search and filter capabilities, so clients can easily find the products that will sell in their stores including new product launches, unique multicultural products by demographic, and locally produced products. Combining those tools with the flexibility to search product images or upload files from their inventory management systems ensures the technology fits multiple processes and minimizes store labour.
Another labour-saving technology that we’ve invested in is GPS tracking on our trucks. This allows clients to receive automatic notifications when their order departs our Retail Support Centre and provides real time tracking on location and precise site arrival times. This allows operators to better plan their labour and staff activities.
For Sobeys Wholesale, being retail-focused enables us to leverage technology to add value to our customers in the ways that matter the most to them.
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Anne Nielsen
VP, brand development, Hyde’s Distribution
The c-store industry is navigating rising operational costs, intense competition and economic uncertainty. We can’t eliminate the challenges, but with technology, we have streamlined operations and continue to deliver customer-centric solutions that drive results.
During COVID, faced with lockdowns and restrictions, we needed a way to keep serving our c-store clients. We responded by developing an app, TONOL = Trusted Omni-channel Network Optimizing Lift in customer experience, sales, distribution and share. What started as a survival tool has evolved into a vital platform at the heart of our business today.
TONOL enables us to partner with our suppliers to showcase their products through our app and with our targeted digital media campaigns. Leveraging social media, email, user-generated content and geo-mapping, we reach both our c-store clients and their customers in meaningful ways.
With TONOL, our c-store clients enjoy easy 24/7 mobile ordering, real-time inventory visibility, direct video calls with their sales representative, interactive tappable flyers and a rewarding loyalty program. We help them be first to market with innovation and drive more customers into their stores. Our TONOL technology empowers our c-store clients to work smarter, not harder.
Across Canada, more than 3,000 app users have placed thousands of orders via TONOL. Our digital campaigns have delivered millions of ad impressions, boosting traffic and sales for the participating c-stores. TONOL is available for download on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Tech talk
3 questions with Hélène Drolet, VP of operational excellence, North America, ACT | Circle K
From forecasting next week’s soft drink sales to fielding staff questions in seconds, artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping Circle K’s operations. As VP of operational excellence North America at Alimentation Couche-Tard, Hélène Drolet is leading the charge, which includes the forthcoming rollout of a chain-wide smart inventory system that predicts product demand based on everything from weather to local events, and the recent introduction of AI bots to field front-line questions instantly. The goal: a centralized “one-stop shop” that keeps stores humming, customers happy, and no sale left on the table.
We caught up with Drolet to learn more about the retail giant’s tech investments.
No store wants to lose a sale because an item is out of stock. How is Circle K using tech to keep shelves full at the right time?
We are working to implement an AI-powered inventory system to improve the in-stock position. It’s a system that takes into account weather forecasts and special events on top of historic sales trends. It will improve reducing slow movers and ensure best sellers are always in stock. We use a system today that creates orders based on sales trends and on-hand [inventory counts]. The new system, however, will be more precise in terms of forecast.
How are you tapping technology to make staff training, onboarding and everyday employee interactions smoother?
We are using a labour scheduler to create schedules and employees have access to an app to update their availability, see their schedule and ask for shift changes. In terms of staff training and onboarding, we use different apps for HR needs and training. We added a chatbot service to guide employees to the proper resource for all their benefits, questions or training needs. We also use an app to communicate with employees, like an internal social network where everyone can share pictures of their stores and good practices. We also have private channels where our managers can share information with their teams.
What are newer opportunities coming into focus on the tech front?
The focus is to simplify store operations. The opportunities are to centralize apps and make it easier for store employees to find what they need. AI will play a significant role in helping employees find the proper resources to solve a problem. We need to work towards a “one-stop shop.” We still have a lot of work to do to centralize information and simplify access to information.