“If you want to play on the winning team, come here! We are the most enjoyable company in the grocery retail industry, and we're doing very well." As a data scientist, Youcef works with models and algorithms used throughout Axfood. Using vast amounts of data, he develops and enhances various aspects, including the chains' e-commerce and customer programs.”
Youcef på Axfoods office i Stockholm. Picture: Elin Andersson
“If you want to play on the winning team, come here! We are the most enjoyable company in the grocery retail industry, and we're doing very well." As a data scientist, Youcef works with models and algorithms used throughout Axfood. Using vast amounts of data, he develops and enhances various aspects, including the chains' e-commerce and customer programs.”
Hello Youcef! What do you do at work?
– I work with digital development and e-commerce. As a data scientist, I work with models and algorithms used by stakeholders throughout the entire group. I work closely with the retail chains, both Willys and Hemköp at the moment. I create models to provide customers with a better and more personalized experience, such as association items like "others also bought" seen in e-commerce. Right now, I'm also working on setting up a framework for automatic monitoring of everything we do, so we can easily track how the models perform from a business perspective – we want to know that we're doing the right things.
Describe what it's like to work at Axfood!
– I've been within the Axfood Group for ten years, so I'm a living example of someone who enjoys and develops within Axfood. A lot is happening, and digitization and innovation are clear focus areas that are being invested in. We're on a journey of change, and we have significant opportunities to be involved and make an impact – it's both fun and rewarding.
What does your team look like?
– I work with a group of creative and fun data scientists and business developers. We have a familial atmosphere with many different personalities and skills, it's very open, and there's a lot of laughter while everyone remains professional and driven. We learn a lot from each other, and I draw energy from the team. There's a lot of humor and a helpful atmosphere, which is a perfect fit for me!
What's it like working within a grocery retail group?
– I think it's fantastic – partly being a part of Axfood and partly being a part of Axel Johnson. It creates significant opportunities for internal development. I'm an example of that; I started as an analyst in supply chain management at Dagab and now work as a data scientist at Axfood. There's an incredible amount of expertise within the group, which provides a lot of knowledge and inspiration to exchange experiences with other data scientists at, for example, Dagab, regarding logistics and supply chains. Through our majority owner, Axel Johnson, we also get to exchange experiences with other companies in the sphere. There are also opportunities for further education for us data scientists, and I'll be taking a course next year!
What has your career journey been like?
– I started at Dagab's supply chain management as an analyst and developer to streamline the flow of goods to stores in 2013. Before that, I worked at Unilever for about five years, dealing with procurement and forecasting in their supply chain planning. After nearly ten years in supply chain, I wanted to broaden my knowledge and experience. In a project, I came into contact with some data scientists from Axfood's business development, and I was inspired to join them.
What do you find most enjoyable about your job?
– Personally, the job is very developmental for me. I'm not trained as a data scientist but have been interested in it since I was a child. I like that what I do is so tangibly visible. I work a lot with e-commerce, and what I do is quickly and concretely visible there. It's motivating. It's easy to connect values to what we do, to see business results directly, and evaluate effects.
What are you proud of in your job?
– It's hard to say what I'm proud of, but it's fun to work on things that people can generally relate to. I can talk about my job, and people at least partially understand what I do – everyone knows Willys and Hemköp. I'm proud that I get to be involved and shape what we do. It's fun that not everything is set in stone, and we constantly aim to improve.
What would you say to a candidate interested in joining Axfood?
– I've been here for ten years, and I really enjoy it. It's a good company with sound values and a wonderful culture where they care about us employees. To be frank: if you want to play on the winning team, come here! We're the most enjoyable company in the grocery retail industry, and we're doing very well. And it's not standing still; things are happening all the time. It suits those who like change and when a lot is happening.
After ten years, I've gotten used to having great data, but for outsiders, it's cool that we have the opportunity to work with large datasets thanks to significant volumes and large customer programs with exceptionally high identified sales. We have several million bonus customers. We're also at the forefront when it comes to data structure and have good, modern system solutions.
Finally, what's your favorite dish?
– It's definitely couscous algérien. My dad's wife, who has Algerian heritage, makes a fantastic couscous stew. She makes most of it from scratch, so it takes many hours to prepare, but it's truly delicious!
Background: Youcef holds a degree in industrial economics. He has always worked in business-related roles, such as project management and business development. At the same time, he has had a keen interest in IT and programming and is self-taught in the field. "I started building websites when I was 12 years old." Youcef joined Dagab in 2013. He briefly left Axfood in 2017 but returned eight months later and has been with Axfood's department for strategy and business development as a data scientist since 2018.