As Marks & Spencer (M&S) embarks on a journey of sustainable growth and value creation, the retail giant has enlisted the support of software platform provider o9 Solutions. The AI-powered platform, known as Digital Brain, will play a pivotal role in the transformation of M&S’s end-to-end planning processes for its Clothing & Home operations. This initiative involves the replacement and modernization of M&S’s current systems handling merchandise planning, sales stock & intake, and range planning. The aim is to integrate these components into a unified platform, fostering agility and responsiveness to customer needs.
In the next phase of the program, o9 Solutions will further enhance M&S’s capabilities by replacing and integrating the existing forecasting and replenishment systems onto the Digital Brain platform. This comprehensive rollout, spanning the next three years, is anticipated to elevate M&S’s Clothing & Home business, making it more agile, interconnected, and adept at navigating emerging trends in response to evolving customer demands.
Richard Price, Managing Director of Clothing & Home at M&S, emphasized the potential of the end-to-end planning platform to leverage data and AI for informed decision-making and future planning. This strategic move aligns with M&S’s commitment to remaining relevant and responsive to customers. Chakri Gottemukkala, co-founder and CEO of o9 Solutions, expressed enthusiasm about the unique opportunity to propel an iconic brand like M&S into the future through their next-generation platform, particularly as the retailer undergoes reshaping for growth.
In the fiscal year 2022/23, M&S’s Clothing & Home division achieved notable success with sales growth of 11.5%, accompanied by an 11.2% increase in like-for-like sales. The recent update on Christmas trading further underscored positive momentum, revealing a 4.8% increase in Clothing & Home sales. As M&S embraces digital transformation, the collaboration with o9 Solutions marks a significant step toward optimizing planning processes and reinforcing the brand’s competitiveness in the retail landscape.
