Argon & Co partners with Briscoe Group on NZ supply chain overhaul

Global management consultancy Argon & Co has partnered with Briscoe Group - the retailer behind Rebel Sport and Briscoes Homeware - to overhaul its New Zealand supply chain, anchored by a new distribution centre in Drury, South Auckland, and a shift to demand-led store replenishment.

The Drury facility has expanded pallet storage capacity from approximately 4,000 to 15,000 positions, allowing the group to hold more inventory centrally and replenish stores based on actual demand rather than fixed schedules.

The core problem the project addressed was misplaced inventory. Despite holding significant stock across its store network, Rebel Sport's on-shelf availability was below target. The new model aims to lift on-shelf availability to 90% for the retailer's top six suppliers.

For Briscoes Homeware, the change to central holding has already reshaped how stock flows.

Previously, 80% of incoming products went directly to stores; under the new model that figure is 20%, with the remainder held centrally and released as needed.

Briscoe Group is targeting a 57% reduction in store inventory for Briscoes Homeware and a 67% reduction for Rebel Sport - cutting cover from 18 to six weeks - with a further four weeks of stock held at the distribution centre. The transformation is also projected to improve imported stock turns by approximately 20%, from 2.49 to 3.0.

The project included the phased implementation of a Manhattan Associates warehouse management system (WMS) and the introduction of goods-to-person automation to support unit-level replenishment for Rebel Sport.

Early automation results averaged approximately 237 picks per hour against a target of 300, with one operating period reaching 446 picks per hour — close to 50% above the target rate.

"Building a new distribution centre was only one part of the project," said Jeff Triantafilo, partner at Argon & Co.

"We've redesigned how inventory moves through the business, introduced the technology and automation to support it and helped Briscoe Group take much greater control of its end-to-end supply chain."

Darren Porteous, general manager supply chain at Briscoe Group, said the transformation was about putting the right inventory in the right place.

"By holding more stock centrally and improving how we plan and replenish stores, we can respond much more precisely to what each individual store needs," Porteous said.

"That means less excess stock taking up valuable space, better product availability for customers and more room to sell rather than hold excess inventory,."

Argon & Co's scope covered business case development, warehouse design, automation systems, technology procurement, implementation, change management and operational readiness.

Porteus said Argon & Co was effectively been an extension of the Briscoe supply chain team throughout the journey.

"They’ve brought in the right people at the right time, whether we needed expertise in warehouse systems, automation, property, testing or program delivery," he said.

"Their support has helped us manage a major transformation while keeping our day-to-day operations running."