Belk Fashions an Analytics-driven Solution Worth Millions in Bottom-line Value

• Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics
• Functional Applications - Inventory Management Systems
• Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Visualization

• Retail
• E-Commerce

• Sales & Marketing
• Warehouse & Inventory Management
• Business Operation

• Predictive Maintenance
• Inventory Management
• Demand Planning & Forecasting

• Data Science Services
• System Integration
• Software Design & Engineering Services

Belk, a historic retailer with almost 300 stores and an online storefront, faced challenges in modernizing its internal planning and fulfillment systems. The company’s previous forecasting practices did not incorporate statistical modeling, relying instead on the average rate of historical sales (ARS). This made it difficult to capitalize on upward trends and minimize the impact of downward trends. Recognizing the value of advanced data-driven decision-making, Belk embarked on a $130 million smart technology initiative to better serve its customers. Building a predictive analytics capability was identified as a top priority, but the company also understood the challenges of changing long-held organizational processes.

Belk is a leading retail department store with almost 300 stores in 16 states and an online storefront offering fashion apparel, shoes, accessories, and cosmetics. With a history spanning more than 125 years, Belk has established itself as a significant player in the retail industry. The company has millions of SKUs and transactions, making it highly reliant on data and analytics to forecast, plan promotions, manage inventory, and interact with customers. Despite its long history, Belk recognized the need to modernize its operations by embracing advanced analytics and predictive technologies to improve business performance and better serve its customers.

Belk partnered with Antuit to build an end-to-end solution backed by a single analytical foundation. Antuit's demand forecasting solution, built on the SAS analytical toolset, was implemented across all of Belk’s planning and fulfillment functions, including financial planning, allocation, and replenishment. This solution provided Belk with one enterprise demand signal feeding into each function, ensuring consistent decision-making across the organization. The forecast now accounts for seasonality, promotions, events, and other relevant variables, resulting in a stable and accurate forecast. The company has automated the calculation of replenishment orders with confidence. Accurate financial forecasts allow Belk’s merchants to plan future product purchases by vendor and allocate appropriate amounts of product to each store to maximize sell-through. During the open-to-buy process, reliable forecasts enable merchants to make better and faster business decisions and react quickly to emerging trends. To achieve a seamless, sustainable, and scalable process, Antuit integrated its solution with SAS Planning, Oracle Replenishment and Allocation, and Belk’s internal Assortment Planning system.

• The predictive insights from Antuit’s solution help Belk forecast, plan, and manage inventory effectively.
• The solution ensures that all decision-making is consistent across the organization.
• Automated replenishment orders are now calculated with confidence.

• Belk embarked on a $130 million smart technology initiative.
• The solution was implemented across almost 300 stores in 16 states.