Specialist kitchen retailer ProCook has said it will look to use more AI, as well as machine learning and robotics, to “become more efficient” as it grows.
ProCook chief financial officer Dan Walden told Retail Week that the group will start to leverage different AI technologies across its operations, including its website, stores and supply chain.
“Our website is all bespoke technology, created by us, and we will continue to invest in that,” he said. “We will continue to invest in new technologies that support website growth, improved user experience online and also improve operating efficiency in stores and in our warehouse.
“Of course, we’ll start using more AI, machine learning and robotics, which will help us become more efficient as we progress.”
Walden added that while it is a continuous development, a “detailed roadmap” of business improvements will launch this year.
Part of ProCook’s plan to improve operating efficiency will come through the supply chain. Chief executive officer Lee Tappenden said there had been some delays in the past few weeks, but assured us that this is being dealt with.
“We’re mitigating that,” he said. “We have tried to be proactive by ordering ahead of time some of our seasonal products for towards the end of the year. “That is something we’re just trying to offset with commercial negotiations where appropriate. We’re managing this very closely on a week-by-week basis.”
Plans for growth
The news comes after ProCook posted its full-year results to March 31, which saw revenue inch up 0.4% to £62.6m and underlying profit before tax reach £1m, against an underlying loss before tax of £0.2m.
Tappenden said that new store openings are “definitely a priority” for the group, and that it plans to open 10 new stores in this financial year.
“Given that we have only 58 stores today, there are a lot of cities that we’re not in,” he said. “We believe that ProCook performs well in high-traffic regional shopping malls, as well as high streets. We also do well in some of the more affluent high streets across the UK, so we’ve got a mix.”
“The longer term vision is to get to 100 stores in the UK, and this is the first year of that journey.”
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