Wills Group, operator of the Dash In convenience-store chain and the Splash In ECO Car Wash locations, is implementing a connected retail strategy using products from SymphonyAI, a provider of predictive and generative enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) software-as-a-service (SaaS) products, to provide a “more engaging, consistent shopper experience via focused space planning.”
- The Wills Group is No. 120 on CSP’s 2024 Top 202 ranking of U.S. convenience-store chains by store count.
The retailer selected SymphonyAI’s web-based Shelf Planning to integrate into SymphonyAI’s broader Connected Retail Platform. Implementation will begin with Shelf Planning for Dash In, delivering optimized shelf management, customer engagement and business growth across the network of stores. SymphonyAI’s Connected Retail Platform is designed to scale with Wills Group’s expansion, adapting to shifting shopper behaviors, competitive dynamics and market trends.
Through this partnership, Wills Group will offer a more personalized and efficient shopping experience to its customers, the companies said. By aligning shelf placement with local customer preferences, stores can reduce out of stocks, minimize excess inventory and ensure that customers find what they need quickly and easily.
Benefits of the SymphonyAI products include:
- Data-Driven Product Placement: SymphonyAI uses near real-time data analytics to determine the most effective placement for each product, considering factors such as sales trends, seasonality and customer preferences. This ensures high-demand items are always prominently displayed, driving increased sales.
- Store-Specific Shelf Plans: The platform allows for the creation of store-specific shelf plans tailored to the unique needs of each store. Stores located in high-traffic urban areas can optimize for quick-turn items, while suburban locations can focus on a wider assortment of products.
As Wills Group incorporates additional integrated applications into the platform, it will unify data and insights, harness predictive and generative AI, streamline operations, enhance automation and improve financial outcomes, the company said.
“As we become a more sophisticated retailer through data analytics, SymphonyAI has demonstrated deep knowledge of our convenience retail requirements and technical capability,” said Mark Samuels, executive vice president of convenience retailing for Wills Group. “Through a highly collaborative approach, we developed a rapport with the Symphony AI team and became comfortable with their technology and approach. We’re excited to take the next steps in the end-to-end retail journey.”
“Wills Group is taking bold steps to meet the needs of fuel and convenience shoppers with connected retail to provide engaging, varied in-store offerings including an increased mix of fresh and prepared foods,” said Manish Choudhary, president of the SymphonyAI retail-CPG division. “We are excited to partner with Wills Group to provide continuous learning AI that evolves with shopper needs, future-proofing their business for long-term success.”
SymphonyAI is an enterprise AI SaaS company for digital transformation across the critical growth verticals including retail, consumer packaged goods (CPG), financial services, manufacturing, media and information technology (IT)/enterprise service management. SymphonyAI verticals have many leading enterprises as clients. Palo Alto, California=based SymphonyAI is a SAIGroup company backed by entrepreneur and philanthropist Dr. Romesh Wadhwani.
A family-owned company since 1926, La Plata, Maryland-based Wills Group has nearly 300 retail locations across the Mid-Atlantic region, including Dash In c-stores and Splash In ECO Car Wash sites. It also includes SMO Motor Fuels, the company’s retail petroleum distribution and fuel and convenience-store network.
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