Belk has shopped for SAS

CARY, N.C.: For Belk, the Holy Grail is to precisely place the right merchandise assortment in each of its 304 stores. SAS, a player in business analytics software and services, is helping transform that vision into revenue, as the latest press release claims.

It adds that the Southern U.S. retailer chose SAS Integrated Merchandise Planning — including SAS Size Optimization, SAS Demand Forecasting for Retail, SAS Merchandise Financial Planning and SAS Merchandise In-Season Management — to power an enterprise-wide transformation.

"Belk’s mission has always been to personally connect with customers and provide them with outstanding merchandise and service,” said Tim Belk, Belk Chief Executive Officer. “Our work with SAS will make that mission more productive so our associates are freed up to offer customers the personal attention they deserve.”

“Belk chose SAS for its proven results, retail expertise and analytics strength, which surpassed other available merchandise planning technologies,” said Mike Laurenti, Belk Chief Information Officer. “SAS will help us serve our customers better by allowing us to become more flexible and responsive.

According to Amy Wooden, Belk Executive Vice President of Merchandise Planning, “With SAS demand forecasting and planning we’ll make more productive use of our inventory and reduce supply chain risk. Bottom line, we anticipate our strategic use of SAS will deliver significant annual payback.”

As per Gene Gsell, Vice President of SAS Retail and Manufacturing. “SAS Merchandise Planning will supercharge Belk by enhancing its ability to forecast demand for specific merchandise characteristics like size, color and style. SAS will help Belk better meet shoppers’ needs through a clearer vision into what’s important to individual consumers. And that should mean a more productive inventory and healthier margins for Belk.”