Episys to streamline marketing material production and distribution with Retail Enterprise Suite software

Episys to streamline marketing material production and distribution with Retail Enterprise Suite software

The Bon-Ton Stores, a US retailer with 277 department stores and 11 furniture stores, has implemented the Retail Enterprise Suite from Episys, leading to reduced costs and cut waste.

Bon-Ton operates a promotional pricing strategy and relies on the Episys signage system to communicate sales offers to its customers.

Before Bon-Ton implemented the provider’s Retail Enterprise Suite, its pricing system and inventory systems were not integrated with its signage system. As a result, all signs were delivered to and printed in store, regardless of the inventory instore. This meant that sign production was a labour-intensive task that led to challenges in timing, efficiency and the problem of getting the right signs in the stores at the correct time.

Integration makes the difference

Lisa Celebre, divisional vice president and director of store operations at Bon-Ton, said: “Our systems weren’t integrated. In our business, it is essential that our pricing is accurate and the information on the sign is accurate. By integrating the pricing, inventory and signage systems, we’ve also been able to achieve expense savings by reducing the amount of paper used in stores.”

With the implementation of the Episys solution, Bon-Ton has eliminated unnecessary paperwork in the store. Celebre continued: “We are setting all of our promotional events so that they are driven by the signs that are produced in the system and, consequently, printed in the store. With that, we have reduced the amount of time we are taking to set a sale, and reduced the expense associated with paper.”

Future plans for Bon-Ton include the integration of Retail Enterprise Suite with mobile applications, with the aim of further improving efficiency and accuracy in its stores.