MasterZoo: Assortment Agility at Scale Across 200+ Pet Stores Powered by LEAFIO AI

Solutions implemented: LEAFIO Assortment Performance + LEAFIO Inventory Optimization

MasterZoo is a fast-growing European pet retail chain operating 200+ stores with an active assortment of 6,000+ working SKUs across key categories including pet food, treats, accessories, hygiene products, toys, and seasonal pet care essentials.

As the network scaled, MasterZoo faced increasing complexity in managing store-level assortment differences, ensuring consistent matrix control, and maintaining replenishment precision across clusters and store formats.

Before implementing LEAFIO AI, MasterZoo managed assortment and inventory planning through their accounting system and ERP. Decision-making relied primarily on sales and turnover metrics, with approximately 12 employees within one department involved in assortment-related workflows.

However, as store count and SKU complexity increased, the existing setup could no longer support the operational demands:

• Assortment personalization became difficult at store level
• Safety stock buffers were inconsistent
• SKU rotation required heavy manual work
• Cluster governance was rigid and slow
• Order generation became unstable and error-prone

At this point, it wasn’t just about “manual work” anymore. The bigger issue was scale — it was getting harder to keep assortment decisions consistent and replenishment decisions predictable across a fast-growing store network.

MasterZoo conducted a tender and selected LEAFIO AI for its strong implementation expertise and flexible integration approach. A key differentiator was the ability to implement both Assortment Performance and Inventory Optimization under a single technical specification.

This allowed MasterZoo to manage assortment and replenishment as one connected, end-to-end process — not two separate systems. Most importantly, LEAFIO AI provides a scalable platform foundation for future-ready assortment and replenishment management across a rapidly growing retail network.

“Our previous system could no longer cover the full scope of processes we needed. Ordering was inconsistent, and we lacked flexibility in assortment management. LEAFIO AI gave us a scalable foundation and a clear implementation approach,” MasterZoo project team

The rollout was structured as a controlled transition with staged validation (a key success factor noted by the client):

1. Assortment category structure creation in LEAFIO AI
2. Parallel operation with the existing system
3. Integration and data exchange setup
4. Product attribute assignment
5. Creation of new store clustering
6. Full migration and go-live

“This wasn’t just a system rollout — it was a shift in how we run assortment and replenishment day to day. Together with the LEAFIO AI team, we moved to a new operating model step by step, validating every key process along the way — and we did it without slowing down the business,” MasterZoo implementation lead

The value of the project came not only from automation, but from the combined logic of two connected decision layers:

• LEAFIO Assortment Performance builds and maintains store matrices, clusters, and rotation logic
• LEAFIO Inventory Optimization automatically generates replenishment orders aligned with those matrices

This created a clean operational split:

• category management defines what should be sold and where
• inventory ensures it is available, with correct buffers and replenishment timing

✅ 20–25% fewer out-of-matrix items Thanks to the improved rotation workflow and stricter matrix governance, MasterZoo reduced the number of SKUs remaining outside active store matrices.

✅ ≈50% reduction in labor effort in matrix operations through automation Previously, matrix workflows required significant manual effort across a larger group. After LEAFIO AI adoption, matrix-related tasks became automated, reducing the operational burden dramatically.

✅ 2.5× faster matrix updates Store matrix edits that previously took multiple repetitive actions per SKU were simplified to 1–2 clicks, enabling faster launches, rotations, and category changes.

✅ Faster stock rotation through planned SKU exit dates With SKU deactivation dates available in advance, MasterZoo improved rotation discipline and reduced outdated SKUs remaining in store inventory (especially relevant for seasonal and promotional products).

One of the strongest achievements in this implementation was advanced cluster modification and governance.

Before LEAFIO AI, clustering was fixed and difficult to adjust, meaning changes often required either manual store-level exceptions or creation of new clusters.

With LEAFIO Assortment Performance, MasterZoo gained:

• the ability to modify clusters dynamically
• work with individual stores without creating extra clusters
• build matrices for future periods
• quickly reassign SKUs to clusters using expanded analytics

“We gained flexibility in clustering. Now we can work with specific stores without creating additional clusters — and that makes assortment management significantly easier.” — MasterZoo category team

Managers and category teams shifted away from manual routines and gained time for strategic decisions.

Out-of-matrix items no longer appear “by accident,” improving store discipline and execution accuracy.

MasterZoo actively uses the Assortment Report Builder (Constructor Report), which consolidates key category KPIs in one view.

Inventory Optimization

• lost sales monitoring
• safety stock adjustment
• promotion planning
• critical error control
• CDA items monitoring

Assortment Performance

• cluster and matrix changes
• matrix planning for future periods
• category decision-making based on extended reporting

“Automation changes the planning and management approach itself. It’s important to understand your processes and goals, involve key users early, and be ready to revise old routines if the system offers a more effective model.” — MasterZoo project team

By implementing LEAFIO Assortment Performance and LEAFIO Inventory Optimization together, MasterZoo built a scalable operating model where assortment decisions and replenishment execution work as one system.

The case proves that assortment automation is not only about SKU lists — it’s about:

• dynamic clustering governance
• future period matrix planning
• controlled rotation
• and consistent store-level personalization

All of that becomes significantly more powerful when replenishment is automatically aligned with assortment strategy.