What Goes Mobile?
By Leslie Belcher, President, Jesta I.S. Inc.
Ten years after national commercial platforms for mobile commerce were launched in the Philippines and Japan; they are slowly beginning to emerge in the North American market. Residents in rural parts of the Philippines and other developing nations routinely pay bills through their smart phones, while people in Japan and Europe canbuyproducts as well as train and airline tickets using their mobile phones.
The accelerated growth of mobile commerce, combined with the acuity of location-based applications makes it possible for direct response retailers to use the mobile channel for locally targeted mass marketing. One estimate, according to Mobile Marketer, puts worldwide mobile phone connections at 4 billion; while another by Neustar and SMS Mobile Marketing predicts that mobile revenue in the United States will reach $3.3 billion by 2013. SMS text messages dominate mobile advertising in markets like the U.S today, but coupon to phone and location based marketing are emerging.
A recent study by Coda Research agency has revealed that mobile ecommerce in the US shall grow at a compounded rate of 65% between 2009 and 2015. According to this study, mobile phones will constitute 8.5% of all ecommerce revenues in the US. Here is an estimate of the mobile commerce market in absolute terms:
The rapid growth of banking and bill paying activities with mobile phones aside, today’s retailer must be looking towards some rapid development of new marketing strategies. Three areas seem to be emerging as real opportunities: coupon to phone, product locators, and location based marketing. All three rely heavily on existing robust CRM data bases, integrated ERP and POS systems that readily interact with various web services. In the case of product locators, near real time inventory status and true distributed order management functionality are essential ERP functions since the consumer is being directed to sites with product on hand. POS systems are being asked to readily support scanning of bar coded coupons on smart phone displays.
Mobile coupons are the next evolution of the traditional printed coupon and they’re growing in popularity. The YankeeGroup released a consumer survey report in November 2009, which found that 73 percent of respondents were interested in receiving mobile coupons via SMS or MMS. The same report also predicted that mobile coupon redemptions would increase tenfold over 2010. A new report from Juniper Research, forecasts that consumer usage of mobile coupons will generate close to $6 billion globally in retail redemption value by 2014. This new approach to coupon marketing will place tremendous pressure on legacy POS systems to adapt to scanning smart phone displays at the register. Not only will the POS system need a scanner that can physically read the phone display (laser scanners will not), but the POS software will need to be able to handle what amounts to ‘timed pricing by customer’. With this kind of capability being implemented as the cash desk, it is essential to have robust, comprehensive, and real-time accessible CRM databases that can customize campaigns based on customer buying histories and customer loyalty programs.
Smart phone applications now offer various product search tools. Google offers freeware like Barcode Scanner and Googles that can locate a product based on its barcode or a photo image. They offer not only where to buy based on your location, but price comparisons and some retailers offer inventory checking. Product Search for mobile with local inventory lets a user see if, say, a Nikon Coolpix camera is in stock at a nearby Best Buy or Sears and then provides basic directions to get there. Consumers can then tap on an adjacent “in stock nearby” link and navigate to the seller’s page to see whether the camera is in stock. This is approach has exciting potential for the retailer who can provide accurate near real time inventories by product and by site. The obvious risk is alienating the customer who drove out of her way to the store only to find the item was not on hand. The pressure on the ERP system to update the Web Service with accurate on hand inventories by site is critical to success.
The third emerging Mobile marketing strategy involves location based marketing to mobile devices. Google for example is updating its Buzz applications to not only recommend close by retail services, but provide reviews and relevant information along with the obvious directions. Some retailers combine e-coupon pushes to the mobile user to further entice the consumer. The reliance on robust CRM data is critical to the ultimate success of this marketing approach. To be effective, location-based marketing requires the ability to target appropriately, by both geography and context. As much as mobile consumers are looking for places and things, they are also looking for information (directions, reviews, recommendations, help). Part of what makes hyper-local targeting effective is having both the right kinds and the right depth of content to go with relevant ad inventory and offers.
The future of e-Commerce utilizing new smart phone technologies is growing exponentially over the next several years. Retailers that invest in their IT systems to tap into this emerging market can grow market share and revenues successfully.
About Jesta I.S. Inc.
Jesta I.S. is a leading supplier of business solutions in supply chain management systems for manufacturers, distributors and retailers primarily in the soft goods and specialty industries worldwide. Jesta I.S. is recognized for its expertise, innovative products and services and its commitment to evolving business solutions in today’s rapidly changing business world. Jesta I.S.’ solutions process essential business management information for well known industry leaders including Perry Ellis International (NASDAQ: PERY), PUMA (German: PUM), Genesco Inc. (NYSE: GCO), Town Shoes Limited, Tween Brands Inc. (NYSE: TWE), Cole Haan, Haggar Clothing Co., Cavender’s Boot City and DSW Inc. (NYSE: DSW) as well as many others.
Jesta I.S. Inc.
P: 1-888-925-5152
Email: info@jestais.com
Web: www.jestais.com
Copyright (2010) Jesta I.S. Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. All information contained in this document is the property of Jesta I.S. Inc. Vision Store is a trademark of Jesta I.S. Inc. All other company and product names are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.
The challenges of internet retailing
By Leslie Belcher, President, Jesta I.S. Inc.
At the dawn of e-commerce, retailers were skeptical about the potential to grow sales via the web. Today, however, by integrating e-commerce into their business models, retailers are realizing the Internet’s positive contribution to overall sales. For many retailers, e-commerce has become the gateway into previously inaccessible markets. However, entering this new world of opportunity comes with some strings attached: the Customer is a significantly more sophisticated shopper; inventory fulfillment needs to be optimized; and existing stores must be part of the e-Commerce strategy. It is not enough for retailers to be Multi-Channel capable. Retailers must be seamlessly ‘Cross Channel’ as well.
Customers that shop in the bricks and mortar stores are also passing through the gates of e-commerce and are becoming better informed about the products they wish to purchase. According to eMarketer.com, 70% of online shoppers are making their purchase decisions based on product/service reviews, ratings, and/or advice from friends or family. Only 3% indicated they would rather have advice from sales people.[1]
While consumers appear to benefit from the competition in the market, they have also been impacted by the economic downturn. Each purchase takes on more meaning as consumers cut back on discretionary spending. They are becoming much more informed, willing to actively research products and the companies that sell them.. The Internet has been critical in giving consumers access to other consumers – allowing them to share a wide variety of information and opinions. As they become more informed they become more demanding; consumers now expect a particular level of not only quality, but social responsibility.
At the end of the day, consumers call the shots. Their spending may be slowing but their product/service expectations are on the rise; they want to be able to buy anywhere, ship anywhere, and return anywhere, and still retain the ability to shop online or in-store.
While it would be reasonable to conclude that consumers’ expectations for uniformity make perfect sense, the reality for retailers is very different. Shoppers often receive inconsistent messages from their experiences of buying online and in-store. It is critical that retailers integrate e-commerce into their business models in order to assure their systems are able to uniformly identify their products, promotions, and customer base. As a result we’ve seen the advent of business intelligence tools as companies actively gather as much information as possible about their products and customers.
Internet retailing requires availability of both internet technology and distance payment methods. In their most basic form, multi-channel retailers are using disparate systems, run by separate organizations (and importantly, separate inventories) for each channel. While each unit may be profitable, finding and harnessing synergies to enhance that profitability throughout multiple channels remains elusive. As a result, each channel is effectively run as a separate business, sharing only a common brand logo.
With regard to manufacturing and production, retailers could face logistical complications, government regulations and communication barriers. Moreover, retailers with stores are forced to maintain a balancing act between lean inventory and production capacity. If they are too aggressive they can lose sales by having too few products in stock, however if they attempt to maximize capacity they increase their chances of being overstocked. Web retailers often avoid this problem by using a drop-shipping model (products are delivered to customers directly from the manufacturer).
Sharing sales, inventory, and customer data is perhaps the most critical first step to achieving the benefits of multi-channel retailing. Even if systems are not yet fully integrated, decision makers, from customer service representatives all the way up to the C-level executives will be more informed.
As noted, business intelligence tools are critical in providing decision makers with accurate real time and consolidated information. Adopting a single integrated ERP platform that can manage all channels with the same toolset has many benefits. All initiatives are analyzed and managed together. Inventory visibility is complete and can be shared with the customer and supplier alike in near real time. Customers can easily check in-store availability or the status of an order on-line. Stores can expand their capabilities by presenting various options to customers when confronted with a stock-out such as reserving an incoming unit, sending the customer to a nearby store, or placing an order.
It is critical that management consider shaping their organizations to encourage the success of the brand, not the channel. Brick and mortar retailers have traditionally fostered a sense of friendly competition amongst stores, districts, and regions. However since each was driven to achieve its own goals for their given geography, cannibalization was not an issue.
The boundaries separating brick and mortar from e-commerce retailers are becoming blurry; both types are in search of new markets and consumers. As a result, competition has increased and consumers now expect store-based prices and promotions to match those found online and vice versa. For many consumers, shopping on the web is equivalent of yesterdays “window shopper”.
Very few small to medium sized retailers have bridged the chasm between multi-channel retailing and cross-channel brand management; they have successfully transformed their organizations to give customers what they want, when and where they want it, and benefit from streamlined, efficient management, and greater inventory flexibility. Ultimately, these retailers will be outperforming their peers.
Transitioning from a single channel retailer, to varied levels of multi-channel integration, to the ultimate in cross-channel optimization, one thing has remained constant: the customer. The truly customer-centric retailer has always understood this, and has built up the technical capabilities as quickly as budgets have allowed. Opening up new channels has opened up a new customer base. Integrated reporting has allowed marketers to better target the increasing client base, resulting in higher margins. Those new profits can help fund an integrated system that leverages an inventory investment that can dramatically increase returns and decrease stock-outs. Finally, an integrated cross-channel ERP strategy/system unites the business, reduces costs and optimizes forecasts and execution. All aimed at giving customers what they already expect: anything, anywhere, anytime.
About Jesta I.S. Inc.
Jesta I.S. is a leading supplier of business solutions in supply chain management systems for manufacturers, distributors and retailers primarily in the soft goods and specialty industries worldwide. Jesta I.S. is recognized for its expertise, innovative products and services and its commitment to evolving business solutions in today’s rapidly changing business world. Jesta I.S.’ solutions process essential business management information for well known industry leaders including Perry Ellis International (NASDAQ: PERY), Puma (German: PUM), Genesco Inc. (NYSE: GCO), Town Shoes Limited, Cole Haan, Haggar Clothing Co., Cavender’s Boot City and DSW Inc. (NYSE: DSW) as well as many others.
Jesta I.S. Inc.
P: 1-888-925-5152
Email: info@jestais.com
Web: www.jestais.com
Copyright (2010) Jesta I.S. Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. All information contained in this document is the property of Jesta I.S. Inc. Vision E-DOM is a trademark of Jesta I.S. Inc. All other company and product names are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.
[1]“ E-commerce in a recession”,p.6 www.eMarketer.com,
Transforming Retail from Bricks to Clicks
Transforming retail from bricks to clicks
By Leslie Belcher, President, Jesta I.S. Inc.
The economic downturn has created a challenging environment for retailers as the concentration of consumer spending has had a direct effect on overall retailing. Individuals are looking more closely at their discretionary spending and are cutting back most on non-essential products while performing more active price comparison. Today, internet retailing enables consumers to compare prices, save money and limit their delivery costs.
The traditional brick-and-mortar retailers built their IT infrastructure in a piecemeal fashion using legacy merchandising and planning systems to support their growing business (although now it is becoming more expensive to sustain). In the 1990’s, the catalog/call-centre system was introduced to manage that sales channel. Presently, various new web-based e-commerce platforms are helping to grow the business by effectively tying together processes and procedures for the internet channel, with systems that help ensure service excellence by giving the customer the opportunity to buy anything, anywhere, anytime.
Internet retailing is expected to outpace all store-based formats, as most retailers will either enter or expand in the internet retailing channel, while a significantly higher proportion of the world population will have access to the internet. [1]
By the end of 2010, non-store sales will account for nearly 7% of global retailing. Virtual retailers, which initially dominated internet retailing, are coming under pressure from store-based retailers, as they harness the benefits of multi-channel retail, such as collect-in-store options, driving sales and improving the customer’s experience by eliminating common obstacles surrounding order delivery.[2]
The conventional retailing business model is no longer working as it was. Retailers are seeking to transform themselves into multichannel enterprises that will use new channels to grow and to cut service costs without abandoning their traditional strengths; however the systems that worked once to manage brick-and-mortar, catalog and call center channels are not designed to support the complexity of the e-channel operations. While it is typically not feasible to instantaneously change a promotion or a marketing message within the brick-and-mortar store, the same is not true of a transactional e-commerce site which will often provided up to date information at the click of a button.
The virtual channel is expected to put increasing pressure on store-based retailing in the coming years. If retailers remain stagnant they risk alienating their evolving customer base who are in turn becoming accustomed to enhanced services such as order tracking, customer service and online account management, thus increasing operational expenses, leaving them out of the competition and out of their customers’ scope.
In order to be a successful multichannel enterprise, retailers should follow a four-stage process: Create a multichannel strategy; Determine the relative positioning and priority for the channels; Organize for multichannel operation; and adopt best practices for integrating the traditional and virtual business.[3] Their competitive advantage will rely on how they control their multichannel operations. It is essential to ensure the right offering when expanding via online channels. Moreover companies need to have the capability to capture accurate demographic information about their online customer base in order to meet their expectations and be consistent through the channels. To do this, retailers must have the right systems in place to collect such information therefore improving their customer relationship management and service excellence/delivery capabilities.
Finally, the technology associated with e-commerce systems will support a wide range of retail applications offering the ability to improve product supply, enhance service and/or reach otherwise inaccessible markets. Providing real-time data and allowing customers to access to inventory information is crucial for internet retailing operations because is directly related to the effective execution of customer relationship management practices.
Jesta I.S. Inc.
P: 1-888-925-5152
Email: info@jestais.com
Web: www.jestais.com
Copyright (2010) Jesta I.S. Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. All information contained in this document is the property of Jesta I.S. Inc.
[1] Source: Global Retailing: Expansion Strategies of the World’s Leading Retailers – Euromonitor International, July 2009. P 31
[2] Retailing: New Concepts in Retailing-The thin line between Success and Failure – Euromonitor International July 2009,p.22
[3] Multichannel Retailing: Bringing the New Into the Old. David Flint, Geri Spieler, July 2001.
Jesta I.S supports Multi-Channel operations with Vision E-DOM
New York, NY – March 1, 2010 – Jesta I.S. Inc., a leading supplier of business solutions for the soft goods and specialty markets announced today the extension of Vision Suite to support Multi-Channel Retail operations with Vision E-DOM (Electronic Distribution Order Management).
In order to compete, the “21st century retailer” must have an integrated retail software solution that provides insight into customer data across multiple sales channels, uncovers new revenue and growth opportunities, improves customer relationships, and increases profitability. However, many retailers today are still facing two major obstacles—a lack of cross-channel operational efficiencies and lingering technical shortfalls.
As a result, Jesta I.S. introduced Vision E-DOM to help businesses successfully face the challenge. Jesta’s Vision Suite new module, Vision E-DOM (Electronic Distributed Order Management) support companies’ cross-channel sales by integrating their brick-and-mortar merchandising, online activities with corporate policies and inventory management needs. Moreover, it provides real time information to managers across the enterprise to respond and make decisions helping them to reduce costs while maintaining a consistent corporate brand image.
With the Vision Suite, retailers are now capable of redefining the customer experience, improving merchandising, overcoming inventory challenges, capturing lost opportunities, taking advantage of real-time demand information and achieving operational efficiencies that were never before possible. Vision e-DOM is the next generation e-commerce fulfillment system that allows product fulfillment from any designated location including store locations. By creating a seamless cross-channel environment, retailers are now able to realize inventory optimization, achieve more effective assortment planning based on accurate cross-channel demand, create greater inventory turnover across the chain, increase sales, improve profitability and experience higher levels of customer satisfaction.
Retailers are in a race to improve the profitability of their online channel along with their traditional brick-and-mortar stores. Those retailers thinking about growing these channels together, in a more multichannel strategy, have the potential to produce growth and shareholder returns superior to those developing channels independently. The Vision Suite is the foundation to develop these channels”, commented Leslie Belcher, President of Jesta I.S.
About Jesta I.S.
Jesta I.S. is a leading supplier of business solutions leveraging more than 40 years of expertise in supply chain management systems for manufacturers, distributors and retailers primarily in the soft goods and specialty industries worldwide. Jesta I.S. is recognized for its expertise, innovative products and services and its commitment to evolving business solutions in today’s rapidly changing business world. Jesta I.S.’ solutions process essential business management information for well known industry leaders including Perry Ellis International (NASDAQ: PERY), PUMA (German: PUM), Genesco Inc. (NYSE: GCO), Town Shoes Limited, Cole Haan, Haggar Clothing Co., Cavender’s Boot City and DSW Inc. NYSE: DSW) as well as many others. Additional information is available at www.jestais.com
###
Copyright (2010) Jesta I.S. Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. All information contained in this document is the property of Jesta I.S. Inc. Vision Suite products are trademarks of Jesta I.S. Inc. Vision E-DOM, Vision Merchandising are trademarks of Jesta I.S Inc. All other company and product names are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.
###
Diana Ferraez
Marketing Manager
Jesta I.S.
(514) 925-5100
dferraez@jestais.com
Jesta I.S. is among the Top 10 Reader’s choice of Consumer Goods Technology on Supply Chain Execution in 2010
Jesta I.S. named among the Top 10 Readers’ Choice of Consumer Goods Technology
Ranked as one of the top 10 Software firms on Supply Chain Execution in 2010
New York, NY – February 22, 2010 - The Consumer Goods Technology magazine has conducted for the tenth year in a row, “The readers’ choice ’10 survey”. The Consumer goods technology readers recognize the solution and service providers that best empower their business. The survey consists in 10 technology and service categories, including Supply Chain Planning, Trade Promotion Management, Demand Data Analytics, New Product Development and Introduction.[1]
The survey was answered by 165 executives from consumer goods companies of all sizes. Participants identified the solution or service provider they currently use in each applicable category and ranked the customer experience received using their chosen provider.
Jesta I. S. has been listed for 3 consecutive years in the top 10. Jesta I.S. was acknowledged as one of the top 10 companies in the Supply Chain Execution category. These results confirm Jesta I.S’ mission of creating value and return on investments for its clients. Each module, including Vision Supply Chain Management of Vision Suite is designed to be deployed independently or collectively giving access to a complete internationalized solution.
“We have worked hard to develop an end-to-end solution suite that sets us apart from other software companies, and we are glad that CGT has been able to highlight that achievement,” says Leslie Belcher, President Jesta I.S. “We are most honored by the client-driven portion of the survey as we believe our customer recognizes that our supply chain innovation and best practices assists them in improving their supply chain efficiency.”
About Vision Supply Chain Management
With Vision Supply Chain Management (SCM) your organization will quickly gain a strategic advantage by facilitating the sharing and coordination of information between yourself and your supply chain partners. Whether you are a traditional retailer, self-sourcing retailer or wholesaler, Vision SCM enables companies to manage the various steps of the supply chain effectively, using technology that makes your trading partners accountable and responsive. Using Vision SCM, your trading partners will quickly become a natural extension of your organization through real-time collaboration, information sharing and supply chain visibility. Vision SCM’s exception-based management rules monitor processes (production steps, shipping, sample creation, purchase order fulfillment etc) and issues alerts based on thresholds eliminating bottlenecks and increasing speed-to-market.
About Jesta I.S.
Jesta I.S. is a leading supplier of business solutions leveraging more than 40 years of expertise in supply chain management systems for manufacturers, distributors and retailers primarily in the soft goods and specialty industries worldwide. Jesta I.S. is recognized for its expertise, innovative products and services and its commitment to evolving business solutions in today’s rapidly changing business world. Jesta I.S.’ solutions process essential business management information for well known industry leaders including Perry Ellis International (NASDAQ: PERY), PUMA (German: PUM), Genesco Inc. (NYSE: GCO), Town Shoes Limited, Cole Haan, Haggar Clothing Co., Cavender’s Boot City and DSW Inc. (NYSE: DSW) as well as many others. Additional information is available at www.jestais.com
###
Copyright (2010) Jesta I.S. Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. All information contained in this document is the property of Jesta I.S. Inc. Vision Suite products are trademarks of Jesta I.S. Inc. Vision Supply Chain Management is a trademark of Jesta I.S Inc. All other company and product names are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.
###
Diana Ferraez
Marketing Manager
Jesta I.S.
(514) 925-5100
dferraez@jestais.com
[1] Ackerman, Alliston; Romanow, Kara; Padilla, Alarice.”Readers’ Choice ’10.” Consumer Goods Technology. January, 2010, p. 10.
Jesta I.S. is PA-DSS certified by Coalfire
Retailers are assured of PA-DSS and PCI Compliance with Jesta’s Vision Store
New York, NY – January 18, 2010 – Jesta I.S. Inc., a leading supplier of software solutions for the soft goods and specialty markets, announced today that Coalfire has certified Jesta I.S. Inc.’s Vision Store -PA (Payment Application) to be PCI PA-DSS compliant.
Cardholders, retailers and banks all victims of fraud where money and trust have been lost in the past years are concerned with protecting customer account data. As a result, the founders of the Payment Card Industry (PCI); Visa, MasterCard Worldwide, American Express, Discover Financial Services and JCB International have introduced a set of security standards to help ensure that the information associated with a debit or credit card transaction is protected.
These standards comprised of the PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and the Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS) assure accountability on how customer account information is used regarding security management, policies, procedures, network architecture, and software design among others.
Coalfire, a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) and Payment Application Qualified Security Assessor (PA-QSA), has certified that the Jesta I.S. Vision Store-PA is in compliance with the PA-DSS. The upgrade to Vision Store 11.0 includes the new Jesta’s Vision Store-PA that provides an innovative approach to isolating cardholder data and associated transaction processing from the rest of the retail enterprise.
Retailers can be assured that a customers’ card data is never exposed; the processing of the card is done in a manner consistent and compliant with the Payment Card Industry standards. The purpose is to give retailers a new safe environment and to help them adapt easily and efficiently to these changes.
“It is very important to retailers that their credit and debit card transactions are secure. Not only are they facing imposed deadlines by the Payment Card Industry, but they are also facing an increased level of anxiety from their own customers’ regarding privacy and security. With this certification, Jesta I.S. is well positioned to help retailers succeed in this challenge” stated Mr. Leslie Belcher, President, Jesta I.S. Inc.
About Coalfire
Coalfire Systems, Inc. is a leading IT audit and compliance firm that provides IT audit, security, and compliance management solutions throughout North America. Services include compliance testing, penetration testing, application code reviews and certifications. Customers are in the financial services, government, healthcare, education, legal, electric utility, and retail industries. Coalfire’s solutions are adapted to requirements under emerging data privacy legislation including PCI, GLBA, HIPAA, NERC CIP, SOX, and FISMA. Coalfire is a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) that conducts over 1,000 IT audits and assessments annually. For more information, visit www.coalfiresystems.com.
About PCI Security Standards Council
The PCI Security Standards Council is an open global forum for the ongoing development, enhancement, storage, dissemination and implementation of security standards for account data protection. The PCI Security Standards Council’s mission is to enhance payment account data security by driving education and awareness of the PCI Security Standards. The organization was founded by American Express, Discover Financial Services, JCB International, MasterCard Worldwide, and Visa, Inc. Additional information is available at
https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/index.shtml.
About Jesta I.S.
Jesta I.S. is a leading supplier of business solutions leveraging more than 40 years of expertise in supply chain management systems for manufacturers, distributors and retailers primarily in the soft goods and specialty industries worldwide. Jesta I.S. is recognized for its expertise, innovative products and services and its commitment to evolving business solutions in today’s rapidly changing business world. Jesta I.S.’ solutions process essential business management information for well known industry leaders including Perry Ellis International (NASDAQ: PERY), PUMA AG (XETRA: PUMV.DE), Genesco Inc. (NYSE: GCO), Town Shoes Limited, Cole Haan, Haggar Clothing Co., Cavender’s Boot City and DSW Inc. (NYSE: DSW) as well as many others. Additional information is available at www.jestais.com
###
Copyright (2010) Jesta I.S. Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. All information contained in this document is the property of Jesta I.S. Inc. Vision Store is a trademark of Jesta I.S. Inc. All other company and product names are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.
###
Marketing
Jesta I.S. Inc.
(514) 925-5100
marketing@jestais.com
Town Shoes Inc. Upgrades its Retail Enterprise Solution with Jesta I.S.
Upgrade includes Vision Merchandising, Vision Analytics and the Vision Suite Data Warehouse
New York, NY – December 08, 2009 – Jesta I.S., a leading supplier of software solutions for the soft goods and specialty markets, announced today that Town Shoes a leading Canadian-based fashion footwear retailer has successfully performed an upgrade of its retail enterprise system.
The upgrade to Vision Merchandising 11.0 included the Jesta Vision Analytics module. Vision Analytics provides Town Shoes with the ability to view retail KPIs to help manage its business and build unlimited reports. Town Shoes now has the capability to distribute reports automatically using the report scheduler to persons or groups who can drill-down through the executive dashboard to retrieve information about business performance across the enterprise.
“It is very important to Town Shoes that we retain the highest customer loyalty levels possible and to do so we know that we need to have the right assortment of shoes for each store. With Vision Merchandising and Vision Analytics we have gained further insight into our selling patterns and customer buying preferences, in turn allowing for far more accurate merchandise that meets each customer’s preferences.” stated Peter Gerhardt, Chief Financial Officer, Town Shoes Inc.
Vision Merchandising 11.0 includes enhancements to merchandise allocation providing Town Shoes with the ability to fulfill demand by facilitating the distribution of the right merchandise to the right stores and channels. Allocations created by Vision Merchandising are based on fashion and season trends, customer demands, store, channel and location attributes. Using Vision Merchandising Town Shoes can optimize allocations at the item, SKU or store level to increase productivity through automation and reduced distribution costs.
As a footwear retailer, it is important for Town Shoes to arrive at the optimal size runs and pre-pack for styles selling at locations with regional differences. Vision Merchandising 11.0 includes an enhanced size and pack module, allowing Town Shoes to dynamically create size pre-packs based on the size performance of select group of styles at a select group of locations.
“Vision Merchandising automates many processes for our clients while making merchandise recommendations that require little to no merchant intervention. Over time we see customers relying more and more on the application’s ability to automate business processes. The upgrade of Vision Analytics and the inclusion of the Vision Suite data warehouse will aid Town Shoes in its ability to generate not only the reports they want, how they want them, but provide them with total visibility and the intelligence needed in this competitive retail landscape,” stated Leslie Belcher, President for Jesta I.S. Inc
Jesta I.S ranked as one of the top 10 Software firms in the RIS LeaderBoard 2009.
The RIS Software LeaderBoard, often called the Oscars of retail technology, ranked Jesta I.S. as one of the top 10 Software companies in the 2009 list.
The list highlights the top 10 software vendors in retailing. It considers companies that have thrived and have adapted to changing environments. Jesta I.S. placed 8th among the 99 evaluated software vendors.
As part of Jesta Group companies, Jesta I.S. has the support and resources to innovate and develop product offerings according to its clients needs. Moreover, its strategic long term relationships with worldwide technology companies, such as Oracle and Business Objects have allowed the company a sustainable growth over the years.
Some of the criteria that defined the LeadersBoard are: Overall Performance, Technology Innovation, Total Cost of Ownership, Return on Investment, Ease of Installation/Integration, Ease of Administration/Maintenance, Quality of Support, Quality of Service, Product Reliability and Recommendation.
Jesta I.S. was acknowledged as one of the best companies in the categories of ROI, Customer Satisfaction and Innovation and Technology among others. These results confirm Jesta I.S’ mission of creating value and return on investments to its clients business. Every module of Vision Suite is designed to be deployed independently or collectively giving access to a complete internationalized solution.
http://www.risnews.com/ME2/dirsect.asp?sid=8ABF232F66014D9E9D3D98309CE6FABB&nm=Magazine
International Duty Free Shops, Ltd. of Morocco Selects Jesta I.S. Vision Suite for Store and Merchandising Operations
Morocco Based Retailer to leverage Vision Suite to H
New York, NY – December 1, 2009 – Jesta I.S., a leading supplier of business solutions for the soft goods and specialty retail markets, announced today that, International Duty Free Shops, Ltd. of Morocco has selected the Vision Suite to help attain precision merchandising, maximize sales and increase customer service levels.
International Duty Free Shops, Ltd. (IDFS) offers a classic duty free assortment of tobacco, spirits, fragrances, cosmetics, confectionery and apparel to international travelers in its 12 airport locations throughout Morocco. The Retailer also offers a variety of products in its Diplomat outlet in downtown Rabat Morocco.
Having evaluated solutions from several vendors, IDFS chose Jesta I.S. for its comprehensive, integrated suite of applications with a clearly defined upgrade path. “As part of our objectives to improving our customer’s experience, we decided to upgrade our Retail Operations to a new-generation platform, which will deliver rapid customer service and enable fast-paced and transparent product replenishment“ stated Almario R. Quijano, General Manager of International Duty Free Shops, Ltd. of Morocco.
“IDFS understands the importance of strategic IT investment to support consumer satisfaction, especially in today’s economic climate,” said Leslie Belcher, President of Jesta I.S. “Jesta is pleased to provide IDFS with a solution that fits their business processes and vision for their company.”
Quijano also commented that, “The project also needs to address complexities such as controlling the sale of duty-free products, processing multi-currency transactions, dynamic currency conversion and faster transaction times. With Vision Store we believe that significant advancements will also be obtained with the introduction of automated global flight lookup and electronic reading of boarding cards at the point-of-sale. All these elements are important in ensuring that time-constrained customers could make purchases comfortably and quickly.”
Enabling IDFS to more profitably manage its business from head office to store, the Vision Suite includes Merchandising, Planning and POS applications. “We look forward to working closely with IDFS as they leverage the best practices and industry leading functionality our solution offers” added, Leslie Belcher.
Cavender’s Boot City adds Jesta I.S.’s Vision Financials to its suite of Vision Solutions
New York, NY – November 19, 2009 – Jesta I.S., a leading supplier of business solutions for the soft goods and specialty markets, announced today that, Cavender’s Boot City, a leading western wear and footwear retailer operating more than 50 stores primarily within the state of Texas has successfully gone live on Vision Financials.
Vision Financials is part of the Vision Suite and enables organization to reduce the number of vendors, opting for a more affordable and integrated solution from a single vendor. Cavender’s Boot City, also counts on Vision Merchandising and Vision Planning to run their business The integrated retail offering ensures that data is unified across the enterprise so that meaningful and accurate decisions can be made while strengthening corporate and fiscal discipline.
“As a long-time Jesta I.S. customer and Vision Merchandising and Vision Planning user, Cavender’s was well positioned to take advantage of the integrated Vision Suite by deciding to roll out Vision Financials. With Vision Financials, we are able to reduce processing time for month-end calculations and simplify the accounts payable processing cycle, creating a more predictable cash flow. We can see additional benefits including a clear reduction in manual tasks that allow our team to function more efficiently,” added Jim Thompson, CFO for Cavender’s Boot City
Cavender’s can maximize invoice processing and invoice with or without a Purchase Order, match against the PO and Receipt, release within preset tolerance limits, and include notes and attachments to all transactions. Accounts Payable module offers Cavender’s with flexible payment processing, a simple yet robust means of managing vendors, simplified bank reconciliation, import/export abilities including built in formulas for optional export of data to Microsoft Excel.
Cavender’s is able to improve decision making by taking advantage of the systems on screen flexible General Ledger inquires and drill-down right to the source transaction of the inquiry. Another time saver is the accelerated data entry with templates and recurring journal entries.
“Jesta I.S. has a long standing relationship with Cavender’s Boot City and we are very happy to announce their go-live on another Vision product. We are confident that as retailers, especially in the current climate, continue to evaluate their enterprise systems and IT spend, will start to reconsider the best-of-breed approach to systems. Cavender’s like many of our customers have realized the cost savings associated with reducing the number of software vendors. We like to say that we offer tier 1 functionality at a tier 3 price which Jesta I.S. can do compared to the larger enterprises,” added Leslie Belcher, President of Jesta I.S.
About Cavender’s Boot City
Based in Tyler, Texas, Cavender’s Boot City is the largest western wear retail chain in the United States, operating retail stores as well as a popular Web store featuring western boots, accessories and apparel for men, women and children. Cavender’s Boot City and Cavender’s Western Outfitters have become synonymous with western fashion. Additional information is available at www.cavenders.com
About Jesta I.S.
Jesta I.S. is a leading supplier of business solutions leveraging more than 40 years of expertise in supply chain management systems for manufacturers, distributors and retailers primarily in the soft goods and specialty industries worldwide. Jesta I.S. is recognized for its expertise, innovative products and services and its commitment to evolving business solutions in today’s rapidly changing business world. Jesta I.S.’ solutions process essential business management information for well known industry leaders including Perry Ellis International (NASDAQ: PERY), PUMA (German: PUM), Genesco Inc. (NYSE: GCO), Town Shoes Limited, Cole Haan, Haggar Clothing Co., Cavender’s Boot City and DSW Inc. (NYSE: DSW) as well as many others. Additional information is available at www.jestais.com
Twitter Feed- Jestais: Jesta I.S supports Multi-Channel operations with
Vision E-DOM http://bit.ly/b10nh8Jestais: Jesta I.S supports Multi-Channel operations with Vision E-DOM http://bit.ly/b10nh8 […]
- Jestais: The Challenges of Internet Retailing
http://bit.ly/bSNvWNJestais: The Challenges of Internet Retailing http://bit.ly/bSNvWN […]
- Jestais: What Goes Mobile?
http://bit.ly/askYAbJestais: What Goes Mobile? http://bit.ly/askYAb […]
- Jestais: Transforming Retail From Bricks To Clicks:www.jestais.com/en/pdf/press_coverages/Jesta_I.S._Transforming_Retail_from_Bricks_to_Clicks.pdfJestais: Transforming Retail From Bricks To Clicks:www.jestais.com/en/pdf/press_coverages/Jesta_I.S._Transforming_Retail_from_Bricks_to_Clicks.pdf […]
- Jestais: Jesta I.S. named among the Top 10 Readers’ Choice of Consumer Goods Technology on Supply Chain Execution in 2010Jestais: Jesta I.S. named among the Top 10 Readers’ Choice of Consumer Goods Technology on Supply Chain Execution in 2010 […]
- Jestais: Jesta I.S supports Multi-Channel operations with
Vision E-DOM http://bit.ly/b10nh8