Ningbo Laopodaren to Shift to Consumer-Centric Assortment Strategy with RELEX

Chinese specialty retailer to shift to unified decision-making model with RELEX to better support franchisees and ensure superior customer service across all stores.

Ningbo Juku Business Trading Company (known as Laopodaren), a specialty snack retailer in China, has selected RELEX Solutions, a provider of unified supply chain and retail planning solutions,  to enhance its forecasting and replenishment capabilities, improve store standardization processes, better support franchises, increase sales, and meet the personalized needs of local consumers. 

Ningbo Juku Business Trading Company is a specialty retailer focused on offering a wide range of casual snacks. The company operates under its proprietary brand, “Laopodaren,” which is known for its unique and diverse selection of snack products. The company insists on global procurement and direct supply from the market and updates its products monthly to truly achieve “low price and high quality”, bringing consumers value-for-money snack enjoyment. All retail locations for Laopodaren are managed through a franchise model, allowing for broader distribution and consistency across various locations. 

Laopodaren has more than 1,000 franchise stores in China. Adhering to the spirit of “details determining success”, it pursues excellence in store operations and management.  Currently, the company follows a decentralized decision-making model, with franchisees responsible for product selection, ordering, and all supply chain decisions through ERP system. With the RELEX forecasting and replenishment capabilities, Laopodaren is moving from this approach to a consumer-centric assortment strategy. This shift will drive better customer service by ensuring that each store consistently meets customer expectations. Franchisees will benefit from more accurate demand forecasts and optimized inventory levels, reducing stockouts and excess inventory and ultimately improving sales and customer satisfaction. 

“To continue to scale our business and improve efficiencies, we needed an advanced decision-making approach to better support franchisees, increase the level of standardization across stores, and above all, provide better customer service,” said Mr. Zhenqin Yuan, founder of Laopodaren. “We believe that collaborating with RELEX will help us achieve these goals and drive our business forward.” 

“RELEX has extensive experience in retail franchising and direct sales around the world, helping customers to shift from decentralized to centralized decision-making,” said Rod Talbot, VP Sales Retail, APAC, RELEX Solutions. “We look forward to supporting Laopodaren in their journey towards a more unified and efficient supply chain and empower the growth of China’s new retail.”