Today’s retail landscape is more complex and competitive than ever. Shoppers expect seamless, personalized experiences across every channel, while retailers are often held back by fragmented systems, manual processes, and limited visibility. It’s a combination that makes growth difficult and profitability uncertain.
To compete, retailers are modernizing their core systems, connecting operations end-to-end, and using data to anticipate customer needs. The goal isn’t simply a technology upgrade; it’s to build a scalable, omnichannel retail foundation that delivers consistency, efficiency, and agility across the business.
How AI in Retail Transforms Operations and Outsmarts the Competition
Two retailers—very different in size, product mix, and strategy—recently transformed their operations using this approach. Their stories highlight what today’s retailers need most: integrated systems, real-time insight, and a trusted partner who understands the complexities of modern retail.
Case Study 1: Avril Supermarché Santé Scales for Rapid Growth
Avril Supermarché Santé, a boutique grocer focused on natural and organic products, had an ambitious goal: nearly triple the number of stores in Quebec. But its existing systems couldn’t support the growth. Data silos limited visibility. Outages disrupted operations. Core processes lacked the reliability needed for the next stage of expansion.
To modernize, Avril chose SAP Cloud ERP as the foundation for a unified retail platform and partnered with Syntax to guide the transition with retail-specific expertise. Together, they replaced aging systems with an integrated SAP Cloud ERP landscape that connects warehouse, finance, and supply chain operations and provides real-time visibility across the business-specific expertise.
The impact was immediate:
- 70% faster store‑opening turnaround times
- 59% faster invoicing, payments, and credit processing
- 15% improvement in customer retention
IT Director JeanFrançois Tanguay explained, “Making the move from on-premise to cloud was unexpectedly smooth. We couldn’t have been more pleased with this transition or the fantastic results this change has made for our business.”
Case Study 2: Merrifield Garden Center Builds a Modern, Omnichannel Retail Enterprise
Merrifield Garden Center began as a regional plant nursery, but over five decades it expanded into a full‑scale retail, wholesale, and e‑commerce landscaping and production business. With more than 600 employees, multiple divisions, and up to 300 transactions per hour, the company needed technology capable of supporting a truly omnichannel retail operation.
Its legacy systems couldn’t support modern payment methods, loyalty programs, high transaction volumes, or real‑time visibility across its retail and wholesale divisions.
To continue growing, Merrifield needed a cloud-ready ERP tailored to the unique demands of modern retail.
The organization turned to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition, retail, fashion, and vertical business—a solution designed for high-volume retail, omnichannel experiences, and scalable operations. Syntax, Merrifield’s longstanding implementation partner, played a hands-on role in shaping the retail digital transformation. The team worked on-site to understand Merrifield’s unique processes, align system design with mission-critical requirements, and collaborate with SAP to integrate new capabilities into upcoming solution releases.
This cloud transformation positions Merrifield to:
- Support Apple Pay, Google Pay, and modern checkout experiences
- Bring retail and wholesale onto a single platform
- Strengthen security, compliance, and auditability
- Scale new stores and online offerings with confidence
CFO Lynn Warhurst said, “The dedication and commitment of both SAP and Syntax made it easier for us to run our business. They came through and supported us all along the way.”
What These Retailers Show Us About Retail Digital Transformation
Across different industries, regions, and growth trajectories, both retailers ultimately confronted the same core challenges. Fragmented systems and data silos limited their visibility and slowed productivity. Operational bottlenecks strained day‑to‑day performance, while rising customer expectations made it difficult to deliver seamless, personalized experiences. At the same time, the inability to scale new stores or channels easily and the growing need for real‑time, data‑driven decisions made modernization not just beneficial, but essential.
Their success highlights a shared truth: modern retail requires an integrated foundation that connects the business end‑to‑end, from supply chain to merchandising to store operations.
Retail CIO’s Playbook: 5 Strategies to Future-Proof Retail Operations
The retailers that thrive in today’s environment will be those that eliminate system fragmentation and strengthen operational resilience across every function. They will standardize their core processes, build a unified omnichannel backbone, and empower teams with accurate, real‑time insights. And they will adopt modern cloud transformation technology that can scale with demand, supporting growth while delivering the speed and consistency today’s customers expect.
Whether expanding rapidly like Avril or unifying complex retail and wholesale operations like Merrifield, modernization is no longer optional.
It’s the path to operational excellence, better customer experience, and long‑term competitiveness in a constantly evolving retail market.
Partnering with Syntax for Retail Digital Transformation
To fully leverage SAP and modernize complex retail enterprise ecosystems, it’s important to find a partner who can help navigate the complexities of change with precision. Syntax combines advisory expertise with a full portfolio of SAP, retail industry, and technology solutions to help retailers unlock innovation, modernize efficiently, and maximize their SAP investment.
Our approach is powered by deep retail expertise, SAP best practices, and AI-driven innovation for measurable business impact.