Operations
/ Retail [ India ]
1 hour expert call
Demand & Merchandise Planning for Retail Electronics Supply Chain
CLIENT:
A leading global Big 4 consulting firm with a strong presence across strategy, operations, technology, and business transformation services. The firm works with leading organizations across industries on large-scale transformation initiatives, leveraging deep industry expertise, data-driven insights, and technology-enabled solutions to improve operational efficiency, supply chain performance, and business outcomes.
CONSULTANT:
A senior retail and supply chain expert with extensive experience across demand planning, S&OP, supply planning, inventory optimization, forecasting, and supply chain transformation across Flipkart, VLCC, and Landmark Group/SPAR.
At Flipkart, he managed demand forecasting and inventory orchestration for a ₹27,500 Cr electronics portfolio spanning 16 categories, achieving 96% GMV, 92% unit, and 95% traffic forecast accuracy during major business events. His experience also includes AOP development, market and industry sizing, e-commerce penetration analysis, scenario modelling, and demand-risk mitigation.
At VLCC, he led demand planning, procurement, and S&OP across general trade, modern trade, institutional, and e-commerce channels, improving in-stock availability from 75% to 92% while reducing inventory by 32% (₹35 Cr).
At Landmark Group/SPAR, he worked on collaborative forecasting and replenishment using seasonality, historical demand, price elasticity, promotions, and lead-time inputs, reducing forecast variance from 17% to 9% and working capital from ₹36 Cr to ₹26 Cr.
He has also worked with leading FMCG organizations including P&G, HUL, Nestlé, Colgate, ITC, Reckitt, and Marico on S&OP and assortment strategies, with hands-on expertise in inventory ageing, fill-rate improvement, SKU optimization, scenario analysis, Oracle RMS, and supply chain dashboards.
At Flipkart, he managed demand forecasting and inventory orchestration for a ₹27,500 Cr electronics portfolio spanning 16 categories, achieving 96% GMV, 92% unit, and 95% traffic forecast accuracy during major business events. His experience also includes AOP development, market and industry sizing, e-commerce penetration analysis, scenario modelling, and demand-risk mitigation.
At VLCC, he led demand planning, procurement, and S&OP across general trade, modern trade, institutional, and e-commerce channels, improving in-stock availability from 75% to 92% while reducing inventory by 32% (₹35 Cr).
At Landmark Group/SPAR, he worked on collaborative forecasting and replenishment using seasonality, historical demand, price elasticity, promotions, and lead-time inputs, reducing forecast variance from 17% to 9% and working capital from ₹36 Cr to ₹26 Cr.
He has also worked with leading FMCG organizations including P&G, HUL, Nestlé, Colgate, ITC, Reckitt, and Marico on S&OP and assortment strategies, with hands-on expertise in inventory ageing, fill-rate improvement, SKU optimization, scenario analysis, Oracle RMS, and supply chain dashboards.
ASSIGNMENT:
The consultant supported a large retail transformation initiative focused on strengthening demand planning, merchandise planning, inventory allocation, and customer fulfilment across key retail categories.
The engagement covered electronics categories such as refrigerators, televisions, and mobile phones, with a focus on:
1. Seasonal and event-driven demand forecasting
2. Incorporating external demand signals into planning
3. Demand planning through digital planning platforms
4. Inventory allocation under constrained supply scenarios
5. Balancing product availability, working capital, and customer fulfilment
6. Benchmarking retail and e-commerce planning practices
7. Identifying opportunities to improve forecasting, inventory optimization, and fulfilment efficiency
The engagement covered electronics categories such as refrigerators, televisions, and mobile phones, with a focus on:
1. Seasonal and event-driven demand forecasting
2. Incorporating external demand signals into planning
3. Demand planning through digital planning platforms
4. Inventory allocation under constrained supply scenarios
5. Balancing product availability, working capital, and customer fulfilment
6. Benchmarking retail and e-commerce planning practices
7. Identifying opportunities to improve forecasting, inventory optimization, and fulfilment efficiency
OUTCOME:
The engagement provided the client with practical, industry-led insights into demand and merchandise planning across retail and e-commerce, helping shape a more effective approach to forecasting, inventory allocation, and customer fulfilment.
Key areas of value included:
1. Category-level forecasting: Benchmarked demand planning approaches across refrigerators, televisions, and mobile phones, including seasonal and event-driven demand patterns.
2. Demand signal integration: Shared approaches for incorporating external market signals and category-level inputs into forecasting decisions.
3. Inventory allocation: Provided practical guidance on allocating inventory under constrained supply while balancing availability, working capital, and fulfilment priorities.
4. Planning technology: Shared best practices around digital demand planning platforms and opportunities for greater automation and data-driven decision-making.
5. Retail transformation: Helped identify actionable opportunities to strengthen demand planning, merchandise allocation, inventory optimization, and customer fulfilment across the broader supply chain.
The engagement enabled the client to benchmark its planning approach against real-world retail and e-commerce practices and identify practical opportunities to improve forecasting accuracy, inventory productivity, and fulfilment efficiency.
Key areas of value included:
1. Category-level forecasting: Benchmarked demand planning approaches across refrigerators, televisions, and mobile phones, including seasonal and event-driven demand patterns.
2. Demand signal integration: Shared approaches for incorporating external market signals and category-level inputs into forecasting decisions.
3. Inventory allocation: Provided practical guidance on allocating inventory under constrained supply while balancing availability, working capital, and fulfilment priorities.
4. Planning technology: Shared best practices around digital demand planning platforms and opportunities for greater automation and data-driven decision-making.
5. Retail transformation: Helped identify actionable opportunities to strengthen demand planning, merchandise allocation, inventory optimization, and customer fulfilment across the broader supply chain.
The engagement enabled the client to benchmark its planning approach against real-world retail and e-commerce practices and identify practical opportunities to improve forecasting accuracy, inventory productivity, and fulfilment efficiency.