Artificial intelligence to handle peak periods of demand, use of inventory management techniques and end-to-end channels based on a combination of online and offline have been the keys to the luxury jewelry brand Tous to respond to the e-commerce boom, raw materials crisis and New consumption habits. “Our logistical and business reorganization methodologies allow us to have the flexibility to face the current context,” explains Logistics Manager, Mercè Valldeperas. For this reason, they have a new hub that, in addition to being used in last mile and e-commerce, feeds the physical stores of the jewelry brand that act as approach points and micro-centres. “We have upgraded omnichannel in recent years and have the ability to improve our POS inventory to reach the customer faster,” explains Mercè Valldeperas.
“We promoted the omnichannel to improve our POS inventory”
Mercy Valdeberas Logistics Manager at TOUS
Due to the rise of e-commerce and changes in consumer habits, companies are betting on fulfillment automation. They add that in the case of Tous, they are promoting a transversal transformation process in which the inclusive channel is key, and “undoubtedly a strategic factor in responding to new consumption habits.” In this context, they opened their new 8000 m² logistics center in Manresa (Barcelona) which “allowed us to manage one inventory for all channels”, recalls the Logistics Manager. The jewelry campaign, carried out from its headquarters, was moved to this other building to manage all inventory in a standardized manner and gain efficiency.
8000 square meters
They have a logistics center of 8000 square meters in Manresa that manages one stock
On the other hand, they use AI to get demographic and interim sales data and thus know when and where more inventory is needed. In this way, “we have predictions that are analyzed with artificial intelligence, and this allows us to take dimensions for ourselves to ensure that the customer receives his orders on time,” assures the logistics manager.
In this sense, they seek to provide the brand experience by taking advantage of what is offline to offer an online option, where one stock is now available. “One solution is for customers to pick up the product from the physical store by buying it online or picking it up offline and picking it up at home,” explains Tous’ logistics manager. Mercè Valldeperas adds: “The internet needs to be offline and vice versa in order not to be overwhelmed, so e-commerce must be based on physical stores.”
In addition, they have implemented the Lean methodology, which eliminates parts of the process that do not add value and allows analysis of how layers of automation are added. “The few seconds you save in each process add up a lot of time at the end of the year, which is why we save on a small scale, and we exclude, for example, promotional or storytelling paper from the packaging because they are hand-crafted,” concludes Mercy Valdeberas. In this context, packaging is the most difficult to automate, which is why they promoted the paper-less/less-pack initiative, involving the customer in deciding whether it is a gift or not, thus avoiding documentation and bags in case the purchase is made a gift Resume.
According to Tous, its logistics center in Manresa is ready to ship more than seven million products annually, of all categories and to all stores in its network in Spain and abroad. Due to an increase in online sales, the jewelry company, controlled by the Tous family, is ending 2021 to reach the goal they had planned for the new year: to restore the numbers that were before the pandemic. The group recorded a turnover of 384 million euros in the last financial year, 37% more than in 2020 and only 2.8% lower than 2019. At the end of 2021, Tous had 703 stores worldwide, a figure similar to 702 establishments. Which closed in 2020 and compared to 748 in 2019.
“Beeraholic. Friend of animals everywhere. Evil web scholar. Zombie maven.”