Aim’n’s successful growth powered by scalable and reliable inventory planning

Rapidly expanding Swedish activewear brand Aim’n has established itself as a reliable presence in the dynamic sports and fashion category. Founded a decade ago, Aim’n quickly became one of Sweden’s most prominent and loved active and athleisure wear brands. With a focus on sustainable growth, they are refining their supply chain infrastructure to ensure secure and scalable operations for the future.

As one of their partners, we had the privilege of interviewing the CEO, Robin Mostacero, and Buyer, Helena Möller, to explore their challenges and key success factors going forward.

Solid infrastructure for scalable growth

Aim’n was founded with the vision to empower women to have an active lifestyle. The company aims to be a destination for overall well-being, providing a value-addition beyond their products - a daily dose of wellness. Since the start, they have kept their focus and steadfastly delivers on their vision. 

Having grown quickly in the past Aim’n recognized support systems for inventory planning and buying as a gap in their processes.

“Despite having a great focus on stable infrastructure from the start we missed the inventory planning part," says Robin Mostacero, CEO of Aim’n. “Being such a large part of the liquidity of our company, that prioritization seems like quite the overlook in hindsight,” he adds.

Regarding Aim'n’s goals and objectives going forward he elaborates:

“We have an ambitious growth plan ahead, which places a heightened emphasis on buying the right product at the right time and managing optimal stock levels. No part of our business eats up more cash than unsuccessful purchasing. Therefore it is essential that we have robust technical support throughout the process. From conceptualizing ideas to launching products. Madden fits our need in the inventory planning stage perfectly.”

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Planning with precision: Balanced inventory levels for a better cash flow

As Aim’n has grown, so has the complexity of their business. Striking the delicate balance between overbuying and underbuying becomes increasingly challenging yet it's crucial for maximizing stock turnover and in turn a healthy cash flow. To achieve scalability, prioritizing accuracy and efficiency in inventory planning is essential. This enables buyers to effectively perform their jobs while minimizing the risk of human errors.

“The challenge for us during this growth phase is to curate the right assortment for our customers. When looking at different sales channels and markets, it's critical to forecast more accurately what should be purchased for each respective channel,” says Helena. “It's about striking the right balance in our inventory, ensuring an adequate supply of our core, “noos”, products in all sizes while quickly turning over our seasonal items.”

Robin agrees: “One of the most crucial aspects for us, as we scale, is to ensure better accuracy in our buying. We need reliable intel for strategic discussion and decision-making. Using the engine that is Madden to ensure more accurate purchasing is going to be essential,” he says.

Using advanced forecasting models Madden empowers Aim'n to make informed decisions and establish robust sales plans. Helena elaborates on the planning feature of Madden as the cornerstone of the tool.

“It's especially the aspect of being able to look ahead that stands out. Being able to create and establish sales plans with informed sales forecasts, as well as accessing a historical perspective on how things have performed previously, is truly invaluable,” highlights Helena Möller. “Utilizing the advantages with Madden I’m sure will keep boosting our sales performance with greater and greater precision,” she concludes.

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Sustainability and profitability with balanced inventory

In this pursuit of balance, sustainability, and profitability go hand in hand. Aim’n recognizes the importance of planning inventory wisely to minimize financial and environmental waste and maximize resource utilization.

“We aim to sell our products at full price, as it's not sustainable to manufacture items only to be heavily discounted or given away. The challenge lies in reconciling aggressive growth targets with the need to minimize financial risks and avoid excessive markdowns. Finding the balance is a struggle, but it is crucial. This is where Madden's analytical capabilities become invaluable,” elaborates Robin.

Saving time and gaining control with a holistic view

Aim'n recognized the importance of creating efficient processes to avoid time-consuming manual tasks. With Madden, they gain a comprehensive view of historical and current data, saving time and improving effectiveness in their operations enabling better analysis and fully informed decision-making. The ability to plan with real-time sales and stock data, rather than relying on continuous exports and manual calculations, enhances agility in decision-making.

Helena highlights the benefits of having a better overview, enabling Aim'n to optimize their planning and allocate more time and resources for in-depth analysis.

“Before we had Madden, we weren’t able to spend time on all the things we needed to. A greater overview enables us to get more efficient in our planning. It allows us to allocate more time and resources to plan in-depth,” Helena explains.

The ability to effortlessly switch between different levels of analysis, combined with a user-friendly interface, further enhances their planning capabilities and streamlines their overall workflow.

“Madden is very good at structuring data in a comprehensible way. I appreciate the seamless experience of navigating through different planning levels, such as color and category, with just a click. Madden Analytics has truly streamlined the planning process for us,” says Helena.

A flexible and adaptable solution

Aim'n acknowledges the flexibility and adaptability of Madden as fundamental attributes for a responsive system. When it comes to forecasting and drafting purchase orders, Madden allows users to incorporate their own logic and make adjustments based on their unique insights and expertise.

“I value Madden's functionality to manually adjust forecasts and sales plans, leveraging my knowledge of peak periods and other factors. Additionally, Madden suggests reference products or allows me to choose my own, enriching the data sets and enabling more accurate forecasting even for size curves and new product launches,” explains Helena.

Furthermore, Helena emphasizes the flexibility demonstrated by Madden in responding to Aim'n's specific needs and requirements.

“Madden is responsive and attentive to our needs regards to the functionality of the product. Such flexibility is rare from corporate providers,” adds Helena.

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A responsive partner with no integration costs

When selecting a system to support their scalability in planning and buying, the responsiveness and support from their chosen partner was a key factor for Aim’n. 

“What attracted me to Madden was their dedication to streamlining the buying process and making it as effortless and effective as possible for buyers. They possess both the technical expertise and strategic buying knowledge that we sought in a solution. Madden has developed a system that empowers buyers to make well-informed decisions, which aligns perfectly with our needs,” explains Robin.

The support provided by Madden has been instrumental in getting Aim'n's team up and running smoothly and establishing efficient workflows with the new system.

“We’ve had a great dialogue from the start. The team at Madden is highly responsive, competent, and genuinely nice people, which is hugely important to me in our partnerships,” Robin adds. “That the integration doesn’t cost anything is also a testament to Maddens dedication.”

Helena further emphasizes the positive experience with Madden's team during the transition.

“Madden's team has been exceptional. They have shown great patience and made a genuine effort to understand our daily challenges and struggles, ensuring they find solutions that meet our needs. They have provided invaluable support throughout the transition into the system, making it a smooth and hassle-free process for us.”

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As Aim’n is set to take on their next growth phase we are excited to see what’s to come.

If you want to learn more about Madden’s solutions and how we can support your brand, book a free demo and we’ll be in touch!