Card World, which currently operates
19 stores and two wholesale warehouses in the South
West and sells everything from greeting cards to
toys and household products, has completed a year-long
project to implement integrated retail technology.
For a company with over 85,000 product lines and
a £15 million turnover, it’s the first
time the retailer has fully taken on board technology,
giving instant access to information on sales and
what stock is available.
"We’ve now got visibility right across
our business, and can see what’s selling
and what’s not,” says Mark Woodward,
financial controller at Card World. “Technology
allows us to look at sales and make informed decisions
on what stock we should be holding, as well as
in future being able to automatically replenish
stores according to what’s leaving the shelves.”
The company installed VCSTIMELESS’ Colombus
retail software at its head office and 55 new Points
of Sale, adding a wholesale module and PS Financials
accounting system in June. Woodward says that the
system, now fully live, will even be able to help
expose fraud or internal staff theft, via emailed
reports showing discrepancies in either takings
or stock levels.
"We chose the VCSTIMELESS suite because
it is one of the few solutions integrated for both
wholesale and retail needs, as well as being configured
to an accounting package,” says Woodward.
He
adds that the retail software is a powerful tool
for planning ahead for seasonal lines. He
uses the example of bulk buying of best sellers,
such as packs of Christmas cards, which he says
might not have been ordered in sufficient quantities
without the analytical prowess of technology. However,
Woodward acknowledges that adjusting to new technology
for the first time makes buyers more accountable
and hasn’t been easy for everyone. The longer
term benefits cited include: driving down stock
after having often been overstocked, especially
on poorly selling lines; and considerable time
savings when it comes to scanning warehouse stock
which automatically updates stores and head office
on availability.
"Multi-channel
retailers like Card
World, with such a large amount of stock,
are able to
drastically cut costs and improve customer service
by making sure shelves aren’t empty, or left
idle with too much unsold stock, says Michel Ramis,
chief executive at VCSTIMELESS. “For the
first time, Card World will be able to rely on
automated technology to ensure that defined parameters
will trigger deliveries to stores as and when required. ”
|
