Fashion Retailers in general and footwear retailers in particular are faced with additional challenges. 
Fast changing fashion trends, an extremely cost sensitive consumer, stiff competition from departmental store with well-appointed shoe departments; discount shoe stores and outlets, as well as general merchandise discounters such as Wal-Mart, exert additional pressure on the footwear retailer to remain competitive.
Trade regulations aside, retailers heavily rely on imports from Far East at extremely competitive prices. Not only is the logistics of delivery critical, it is equally critical to source the right mix of style, size and color. Ability to collate, analyze and act on consumer buying patterns, sales trends and changes in fashion industry are imperative to succeed in the footwear industry.
A Footwear Retailer is faced with the challenge to:
- Keep in touch with the fashion industry – ensuring that the stores have the right mix of styles, colors and sizes
- Manage inventory levels cautiously and judiciously
- Periodically run promotions & campaigns to increase footfall and decrease slow moving items
- Remain closer to the consumer and analyze his buying patterns and sales trends.
Such a balance requires an integrated business management solution that allows flexibility to cater to the diverse & unique demands of Footwear Retailers. A system that seamlessly integrates all business processes from the POS at store to the planners at the Head Office lowering the overall cost of operations, simplifying expansion and enabling the Footwear Retailer maintain his unique proposition and positioning.
iVend Retail – a complete retail management suite offers to footwear retailers ability to address these business and operational challenges. The application suite allows footwear retailers to:
- Stay connected with business operations
iVend Retail comes as an end-to-end retail management solution for footwear retailers, seamlessly integrating point of sale, in store inventory management, logistics, back office store and head office operations.
iVend Retail has certified integrations to SAP suite of business management solutions and also integrates to other ERPs and accounting applications through its APIs. This failsafe integration with an ERP / accounting application keeps the head office always connected with store operations across the complete retail chain.
- Inventory control and replenishment planning
Head office operations get complete visibility of stock across the retail chain and can effectively replenish stocks rather than relying on store requisitions. Additionally the merchandising department can raise purchase orders in time to avoid stock out situations.
Store Managers and POS operators can gain complete visibility of stock across stores or at the main warehouse / distribution centers right from the POS interface.
- Promotions that maximize profitability
Manage targeted promotions in multiple formats by easily analyzing detailed customer trends at individual stores and across the retail chain.
- Retain customers and manage customer communication
iVendLoyalty allows retailers to define flexible / attractive campaigns, ensuring customer loyalty.
Visit iVend.com to know more about how can iVend Retail Management Suite can help you before more profitable and your customers more engaged.
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