Second, Seven-Eleven uses sales data and software to improve quality control, pricing and product development. Third, technology has helped to predict daily trends. As customers become more fickle, product cycles are shortening. Fashions in boxed lunches, riceballs and sandwiches, which make up almost half of a convenience store s daily sales, are especially short-term. Finally, Seven-Eleven s electronic investment has also improved the efficiency of its supply chain.
Orders flow quickly.
Interestingly, only the fourth benefit actually relates to e-commerce. The rest are about using data more efficiently to make effective business decisions. Seven-Eleven says it can keep abreast of these partly by keeping an eye on the weather. The reports also compare today s temperature with yesterday s. The same 10 C can feel very different depending on whether it was 1 C or 20 C the day before.