RetailT
echnology
entire local operation. From a systems perspective, this means that transaction data is locally managed and then fed back into the UK system via an interface. “The head office functions, including IT, are still
controlled from the UK, so it’s a question of how data is fed back. The transaction data has to be in a format that can be understood by head office systems and then fed into other applications for warehousing, inventory and distribution management” added Padfield. He also said that being able to see the various
facets of the business and having visibility across company functions as well as the various geographies is key to success going forward. To that end, the company has replaced one of its legacy systems used for wholesale customers and international partner product ordering with part of The Retail Suite solution from provider ITIM. This has immediately provided better access to
information and ultimately will provide a visual ordering tool that can be used by wholesale partners. The time taken to enter orders onto the system has been reduced and the accuracy has improved since a number of manual processes have now been eliminated. “The main improvement delivered by The Retail Suite is a significant reduction in the manual effort needed,” noted Padfield. Orders will be taken from customers and the system then combines and aggregates that data and allocates and dispatches orders in the most efficient way possible. “It’s effectively automating a process that was previously very manual and therefore subject to human error via an array of Excel spreadsheets.” The other great change for Cath Kidston is the
overhaul of the website. This was put out to tender at the end of 2012 and successfully went live on BT Fresca in August 2013, with the realisation that the
44 Autumn 2014
AW14 COLLECTION – Fashion @ Cath Kidston Ltd.
existing site was simply not capable of meeting future demand and was not flexible or nimble enough when it came to displaying or sorting ranges and individual products. The demand to have an advanced cross- selling capability was also identified. The new website has contributed to positive year-on-year growth in web sales by providing better trading capabilities, including the ability to merchandise product pages and an enhanced promotions engine. It has also enabled better service in international markets with improved content delivery network (CDN) services, multi-currency capabilities and the launch of a French-language website. In addition, the company has built on the online experience for customers by improving the browse and search functionality and streamlining the checkout journey. “We needed the capability to show customers relevant products that tie in with what they were looking at, to make helpful suggestions about what they might also like and have a better general overview of customer activity and purchasing patterns,” said Padfield. To further drive click & collect as well as the entire omnichannel operation, the firm now plans to refine its distribution strategy. Currently the online and in-store businesses
are served independently of each other, with click & collect orders fulfilled from online stock and delivered to store. “The various processes are not systematically joined up yet and there are clear cost efficiencies to be made,” said Padfield. “Not, least fulfilling a click & collect item from a store’s own stock, planned for 2015, could reduce delivery times considerably and thus enhance customer service.” Dealing with both a global expansion and the
omnichannel expectation of customers is never going to be easy and like most retailers, unlimited budget is simply not an option. Padfield thinks that Cath Kidston’s IT budget is pretty much in line with other retailers and that prioritisation remains key. “As the business grows and we open different
types of stores such as concessions or franchises, then the IT infrastructure will need to change accordingly,” he says. “What is key is that we align those changes with our business needs. So for example with contactless, where the maximum transaction amount is £20 and our average ticket price is above that, then the business case for investing in contactless technology at this time is poor. But something like the ability to process in- store foreign exchange transactions from our foreign customers in London is intrinsically a more attractive business proposition,” concluded Padfield.
www.retailtechnology.co.uk
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