SYDNEY, Australia — 16 April, 2013 — Spend-less Shoes, an Australian owned and operated footwear retailer, is implementing Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 for Retail (ERP), to enable it to accurately anticipate changes in the marketplace, from in-store sales techniques to consumer buying preferences.
Through careful strategy and planning, Spend-less Shoes has expanded to a national chain with an ever growing enthusiastic team, and is now looking toward the future and opening its 200th store. Growing at such a rapid pace, meant the company required a solution that could support its growth plans, integrate with its existing IT infrastructure and empower its store and company team members who are passionate about offering best-in-class customer shopping experiences.
“We chose Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 for Retail because it allows us to integrate and streamline core activities whilst providing for continual enhancement of our customers’ experience” said Bruce Campbell, Chief Financial Officer, Spend-less Shoes. “Some of the compelling features include completely centralised store management, improved catalogue control and incredibly ‘customer focused’ ranging and promotional activities. When coupled with significant enhancements to our supply chain capability and efficiency, the system provides a powerful platform to support our ongoing growth plans.”
Previously, the company’s core legacy business system was manually intensive, and required a large amount of support and input from staff. This led to the company undertaking a review of the entire business and putting the entire customer journey under the microscope to ensure any future investments could capitalise on the importance of consumer behaviour. Spend-less Shoes intends to use the data and feedback it collects, for example customer spending habits and individual preferences, to deliver upon its vision of becoming ‘the world’s friendliest shoe people’ while ensuring its stores are stocked according to its customers preferences for a better shopping experience.
Working with Microsoft partner, OST, Spend-less Shoes will take a three phased approach in rolling out the new system. “Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 for Retail will enable us to service our valued customers at the highest level across all our shopping channels. The system provides for the seamless delivery of an exciting and contemporary retail experience to each and every one of our customers that is both personal and enjoyable as we strive to consistently exceed their expectations” said Campbell.
“As the Spend-less Shoes retail consultant, we appreciate that Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail not only provides the capacity and capability they currently require, but sets Spend-less up for the next 10 years of growth ,” said Glenn Nanda, Director of OST. “It opens up endless opportunities in all areas of their business including POS, multichannel management, store operations, merchandising and supply chain. Integrated on the one platform Spend-less can now roll out initiatives as required and as opportunities arise.”
“Today’s retail paradigm puts increased pressure on retailers to build lasting customer loyalty by keeping up with fast-moving trends and exceeding shopper expectations,” said Thomas Gudman, Director of Dynamics, Microsoft Australia. “Microsoft Dynamics for Retail offers Spend-less Shoes a vision of a future that reduces cost and complexity.”
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