How Madden helps Grandpa on their growth journey

When the well-curated retailer Grandpa needed to accelerate their growth and find new ways of working, the natural first step was to integrate Madden Analytics software. Now, their entire organization can stay on top of analytics, inventory planning and buying, and can make smarter and earlier decisions that lead them to growth and success, making Madden Analytics an important partner on their journey. 

Jonas Skommevik has a long and extensive experience within the fashion industry and has worked with growing Swedish fashion and streetwear brands. Since 2021, he is the CEO of Grandpa – a very interesting company to be a part of, according to Jonas.

– I would say that we have a completely unique position in the Swedish retail industry, largely thanks to our firm values: good people, good products, and good impact. Our ambition is to run our business in a way that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable from a long-term perspective. This has given us a strong foundation to build upon, but it also comes with its own set of challenges, says Jonas Skommevik, CEO.

With four physical stores and an online store, and products from over a hundred different brands there are big volumes of sales and inventory data to keep track of, Jonas explains. 

Naturally, one of his first actions when starting his role as CEO in April 2021 was finding and integrating an effective software for analytics, inventory planning and buying that would accelerate their growth journey. 

– In the following years, our goal is to grow and professionalize as a company and to find new ways of working, simply taking Grandpa to the next level. But in order to do so, we needed an effective tool that allows us to work proactively and data-driven. After learning about Madden Analytics, the choice was easy. They are now our primary tool that we use every day, Jonas says.

‍

Better and more frequent buying decisions

With Madden Analytics, Grandpa can make smarter and more informed data-based decisions, he continues.

– This means that we are now making more decisions and much earlier than ever before. Being able to make the right decisions at the right time is crucial in our industry, especially where we are at the moment, aiming to accelerate our growth phase. Now, we are able to see the target picture when it comes to our profitability and inventory turnover rate.

When their suppliers are updated and able to deliver products based on real-time performance, it benefits Grandpa, their suppliers and Grandpa’s customers, Jonas explains.

Before Madden Analytics, Grandpa didn’t have a functioning system support. Instead, they relied on complex spreadsheets and manual processes to calculate, plan their purchases and make forecasts.

– Working with inventory planning and buying in an Excel spreadsheet is extremely time-consuming and not exactly user-friendly. The documents tend to become very large, difficult to navigate and overlook. We would constantly need to make adjustments to make sure that all data was updated and correct, and there was always a risk of making manual errors.

‍

First-hand experience and industry knowledge

Since the creators behind Madden Analytics have first-hand experience in the industry, they have shared the same problems and headaches that retailers and brands struggle with on a daily basis, Jonas continues. 

– Many retailers, including myself, have always been searching for The Holy Grail of inventory planning, and tried to figure out the secret recipe for success when it comes to seasonal merchandise planning – but very few have been able to succeed in the way Madden Analytics has. I think the main reason why it works so well is that they understand our needs and speak the same language, says Jonas.

What especially impressed Jonas about the platform was the user-friendly interface, how quick and easy it was to implement, and the reasonable monthly cost, he continues.

– We now have a dashboard in our office that offers full transparency and a real-time view of our product performance and inventory, helping our teams keep track of details and making sure that everything runs smoothly. When the data is used right, it can be very encouraging to work with, since it provides actionable insights. It has also helped me significantly in my role as a CEO.

‍

An important and long-term partnership

Short-term, Grandpa has saved time and costs and minimized the risk of making errors, thanks to fully automated and real-time data. In the longer term, they make better and more informed decisions. 

Jonas sees the collaboration between Grandpa and Madden Analytics as a long-term partnership, perhaps forever. 

– Our collaboration is flawless. It almost feels as if Madden Analytics has become a part of Grandpa. They understand our problems and challenges and are always open to deploying new and tailored features to meet our specific needs, Jonas Skommevik finishes.

‍