Graph showing retail market forecast using deep learning

Assessing and Forecasting Retail Market Demand Using Neural Networks

5 min read

Management

Objective / Business Problem

To accurately assess and forecast product demand for a retail outlet by capturing complex patterns in historical sales data, enabling improved inventory management and operational planning.

Approach / Methodology: 

  • Employed a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) neural network model, a type of feedforward neural network well-suited for modeling both linear and non-linear relationships inherent in real-world demand data.
  • Leveraged the MLP’s architecture of interconnected layers with weighted connections to learn complex demand patterns from historical sales and related input features.
  • Trained the model on historical sales data, optimizing weights to minimize prediction error and generalize to unseen data.
  • Validated model performance on both training and test datasets to ensure robust predictive capability.

Outcomes and Impact:

  • Achieved approximately 95% prediction accuracy on both training and test datasets, indicating strong model generalization.
  • Delivered reliable future demand forecasts enabling the client to better manage stock levels, reduce wastage, and improve customer satisfaction.
  • Supported strategic decision-making related to procurement, promotions, and resource allocation through data-driven demand insights.

Business Value:

The neural network-based forecasting model enhanced the client’s ability to anticipate market demand accurately, leading to optimized inventory control, cost savings, and improved operational efficiency.