ASSOCIATED WHOLESALE GROCERS TO REVAMP FORECASTING AND REPLENISHMENT ACROSS 3,500 MEMBER STORES WITH RELEX

Nation's largest cooperative food wholesaler to use RELEX AI-driven platform to improve freshness, increase in-stock positions, and drive sales growth for its independent member retailers

ATLANTA and KANSAS CITY, Kan., Feb. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG), the nation's largest cooperative food wholesaler to independently owned supermarkets, has selected RELEX to optimize distribution center forecasting and replenishment, including fresh optimization, across its extensive network.

AWG serves 1,100 member companies and 3,500 locations across 33 states from nine wholesale division support centers. The company plays a critical role in supporting the success and competitiveness of independent grocers throughout the United States. AWG will implement the RELEX AI-driven forecasting and replenishment solution to replace its legacy in-house proprietary systems and manual processes.

AWG works to balance freshness, availability, and cost efficiency across diverse demand patterns. RELEX will deliver the scalability and automation needed to improve forecasting accuracy, reduce waste, and directly enhance member store performance. By ensuring the right products are available at the right time, AWG members can provide a superior shopping experience, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and higher sales across both fresh and center store categories. The unified platform will improve visibility across the supply chain, enabling timely, data-driven decisions and closer collaboration with member stores and suppliers. These capabilities will help AWG adapt rapidly to business changes, lower costs, and elevate member satisfaction within a more reliable and high-performing environment. Ultimately, this helps AWG members increase sales and improve the overall customer experience at the shelf.

"As we continue to scale our operations, we needed a partner with deep expertise in both wholesale and fresh optimization around demand forecasting and replenishment," said Tye Anthony, AWG Chief Merchandising & Marketing Officer. "RELEX's unified and scalable platform provides AWG and our members with optimal in-stock positions and fresher products, and a more responsive, data-driven supply chain. This partnership between AWG and RELEX ultimately ensures that our members' customers benefit from the highest quality products and a superior shopping experience."

"We are proud to support AWG's mission to provide independent grocers with the tools they need to compete favorably in all markets served," said Doug Iverson, Senior Vice President, North America at RELEX Solutions. "Our collaboration helps AWG drive freshness and availability at the lowest possible cost, empowering their independent members with the right products in the right place at the right time."

ABOUT ASSOCIATED WHOLESALE GROCERS, INC.

Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG) is the nation's largest cooperative food wholesaler to independently owned supermarkets, serving 1,100 member companies and 3,500 locations throughout 33 states from 9 wholesale division support centers. Consolidated sales for AWG in 2024 were $12.1 billion. In addition to its cooperative wholesale operations, the company also operates subsidiary companies that provide certain real estate and supermarket development services, and pharmaceutical products. For more information, visit AWGinc.com.

ABOUT RELEX

RELEX Solutions provides a unified, AI-native platform for retail and supply chain planning and is trusted globally for its consistently high customer satisfaction. RELEX helps retailers, manufacturers, and wholesalers optimize demand, inventory, merchandising, pricing, and supply and production planning to improve availability and efficiency at scale. Brands like ADUSA, Camco, Carhartt, COSMOS Pharmaceutical Corporation, Circle K, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, M&S Food, PetSmart, Rituals, The Body Shop, The Home Depot, Sun Tire & Auto Service, and Vita Coco trust RELEX to increase product availability, boost sales, deliver actionable insights, improve sustainability, and drive profitable growth. Learn more at: relexsolutions.com/customers

SOURCE RELEX Solutions