Fashion retailer updates retail management IT systems to support fast-paced growth

Fashion retailer updates retail management IT systems to support fast-paced growth

With high-profile celebrity patrons and an expanding market presence, Forever Unique has adopted new retail management IT software systems to match the scale of its multichannel business growth.

Now in its seventh season of trading under the Forever Unique brand, the business moved into new premises in early 2009 and has continued to expand its brand.

It has a developing e-commerce channel via its own web shop and an outlet on the Asos e-commerce site. And its store and online channels are complemented by an expanding wholesale and distributor business, both of which are providing growth across the UK and international markets.

The company realised that its current systems were not best placed to keep up with the changing demands that the business has been experiencing.

Improved stock accuracy and efficiency

Sumit Jairath, Forever Unique UK sales manager, explained: “As part of our growth strategy, we have identified the need to improve the accuracy and efficiency of our stock control functions. Stock planning is essential to our future success. Ensuring we have the right product range available at the right time will determine the success of a whole season.”

With an increasingly mobile workforce and a growing international distributor channel, the business also needed to find an effective way of allowing sales orders to be processed at a time convenient to the sales team and customer. “It is important that we remain easy to do business with and that opportunities are not lost simply because we do not have immediate access to key information such as stock availability,” Jairath added.

Finding the right retail domain focus

Forever Unique selected Prima Solutions to update its management systems. Jairath explained: “We met with the Prima Solutions team at a retail exhibition and they immediately stood out from every other supplier. The application is specifically focused on the needs of a multichannel clothing business such as ours and the Prima team clearly demonstrated a genuine understanding of the market sector and of our particular business issues.”

“The PrimaNet application will provide a platform for Forever Unique to more effectively plan and manage its stock across both wholesale and retail channels, optimising both revenues and margins while facilitating excellent customer service,” said John Dineley, head of sales at Prima Solutions.

“For example, the introduction of the real-time web order entry application will allow UK and international distributors to place orders at their own convenience, offer alternatives they know are available and provide accurate delivery dates; all of which increases the average sale size and sets realistic expectations for distributors and customers alike.”

Jairath concluded: “The new IT system will play an important part in our growth plans and we are delighted to have selected Prima as our partner.”