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Pure Collection

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Pure Collection is a multichannel retailer, manufacturing and supplying ‘The world’s finest cashmere, sensibly priced and expertly crafted into beautiful, modern styles.’ The brand has representation in 30 John Lewis concession stores, high street boutiques in York and Tunbridge Wells, and launched Pure Collection US in 2006.

As a brand with global supply chains, Pure Collection had a requirement for a streamlined procurement process. The brand needed to control quality while also improving profit margins and speed to market. Integrating key functions such as product concept as well as production and shipping to the appropriate sales channel as quickly and efficiently as possible were also critical requirements.

The solution: MNP’s Purchasing & Supplier Management (PSM) implemented in 2014

By implementing PSMActive, Pure Collection is now able to react rapidly to changing consumer trends, improve productivity, and deliver consistent quality. Real time information ensures the entire design process is managed efficiently taking into consideration Product Lifecycles, Product Information, Workflow and Inventory Management. The introduction of an automated process has enabled buyers the flexibility to operate from any location, sign off contracts and purchase orders, make updates to estimated delivery dates, review real time sales information and replenishment as well as monitoring vendor compliance.

Lakeland

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Ask the owners of Lakeland about the secret to their business success and they will tell you that there are no secrets.

Dig a little deeper and you notice that business is geared to please their customers at every touchpoint. Today, fifty years on from the company's founding, they now have 1500 employees, generate thousands of orders per day, and have a portfolio of over 4000 product lines. They are a major ecommerce and high street retailer of quality kitchenware and home solutions, supplying customers in the UK and overseas.

12 years ago Lakeland reached a point in its development where their core systems needed upgrading. They wanted a best in class order management system solution that would integrate with established warehouse management, ecommerce, and POS systems to create an omnichannel retail ptatform and a seamless customer experience. By any measure, this was a complex and demanding project where both the opportunity and risk were considerable.

Force 4 Chandlery

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Established over 35 years ago, Force 4 Chandlery is a speciality retailer of Marine supplies and sailing equipment with a strong online presence as well as bricks and mortar stores in Bristol, Poole, Cardiff, Plymouth, Swansea, Chichester, Lymington, Bursledon, Swanwick and The Hamble. An existing client to MNP using our Order Management System (OMS), Force 4 began expanding. Soon growth yielded larger order volumes requiring a more sophisticated order fulfilment system.

Force 4 needed an advanced Warehouse Management System capable of supporting both store and consumer direct fulfilment with local and international shipments using various couriers, as well as multichannel platforms. Additional required features included shared stock receiving, directed put-away, bulk storage and channel specific pick, pack and ship processes. And like any business, they wanted a system that would ensure efficient utilisation of resources including personnel, equipment, storage, and inventory.

The solution: MNP’s Warehouse Management Software (WMS) implemented in 2015

MNP’s WMSActive was implemented to further enhance Force 4’s existing OrderActive order management system bringing the introduction of handheld barcode scanning devices which improved efficiencies while also reducing errors. Force 4 streamlined picking, barcoded pack confirmation, capitalising on real time inventory allocation, while also gaining benefits from stock locations for batch and bulk storage, scheduled cycle counts, sensitive task run management, and intelligent KPI reporting. WMSActive yielded more efficient staff, increased profitability by streamlining operations, and happier customers as a result of real time data for product availability and quicker order dispatch times.

Crew Clothing

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Crew Clothing is a private UK-based clothing retailer established in 1993 specialising in casual wear, shoes and accessories for men and women, selling through stores and by mail order. The company describes its clothes as being British- inspired and influenced by British casualwear, sporting and yachting traditions.

A longstanding client to MNP, Crew Clothing developed a requirement for an Intranet Web Platform to allow ‘Click & Collect’ across 78 stores. The in-store facility would allow confirmation of orders received, confirmation of orders collected, and the functionality to further email the customer should they fail to collect within a given time frame.

The solution: MNP’s Intranet Platform (IntraActive) implemented in 2016

Click & Collect is now available across all stores, with email communication to the customer when available to collect and an automated time lapse for none collected orders keeping control of stock availability. Increased sales online and in-store have been fundamental since the implementation of IntraActive because of direct improvements to the omnichannel shopping experience.

Given the modules near unlimited capabilities, Crew Clothing plans to expand on their IntraActive implementation to include features such as; secure internal communications, detailed reporting, marketing campaign tracking, access to gift vouchers, and real time access to inventory management that includes store replenishment and returns.

Harrod Horticultural

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Harrod Horticultural nets gains

A very successful family business, Harrod UK Ltd, was founded by current chairman Ron Harrod in 1954. The initial focus was sports equipment, particularly goal posts and nets using experience initially gained from repairing fishing nets in Lowestoft. Equipment is today made for a vast range of sports and Harrod UK was an official supplier to the UEFA Championships League Final in 2013, the London 2012 Olympic Games, Rugby Union World Cup in 2011 and the Commonwealth Games in India in 2010. It is also official supplier to Wembley Stadium and St Georges Park and has equipment used by a host of Premier League clubs. The similarity in requirements between goal nets and crop protection enclosures was not lost on the company and Harrod Horticultural was formed in 2003 to leverage the technology developed producing football goals into producing crop protection enclosures for the horticultural industry and home gardener.

Today Harrod Horticultural has become a market leading multi-channel mail order retailer in the gardening sector, supplying hardware products to grow your own, including fruit cages and raised beds, and ornate structures for the ornamental garden such as arches and pergolas. The brand has an enviable reputation for garden product design and high quality UK manufacturing, constantly innovating to achieve differentiation in the market place. This includes the ability to provide made to measure and custom garden product solutions too. With product endorsement by the RHS, the House Beautiful award for Best Garden Product Category 2013 and many commendations for trade exhibits at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the standards for both product and retailing are high that has contributed to the on-going success story.

The IT requirements for the company have changed significantly as the business has evolved. Interestingly, Harrod Horticultural met up with MNP some years ago but at the time decided that their pending business changes had to be completed before overhauling the IT infrastructure but the company came back to MNP when choosing their Order Management and Warehouse Management solutions.

In 2009 when they came to select new systems, the company was experiencing significant problems with the control of customer orders, with some orders frequently disappearing from the radar resulting in frustrated customers. This situation was unsustainable and Harrod turned to MNP and the ActiveSeries Suite for help. The MNP OrderActive Management System (OMS) was installed and there were some initial problems which required support from MNP. Once stability was achieved, the control the company needed was obtained to the delight of customers and Harrod staff who had the more pleasant job of pleasing their customers rather than firefighting to get the orders out!

schoolblazer

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

A great fit

Schoolblazer is a perfect example of a successful direct commerce business that is providing a viable alternative to a traditional retail service.

But this is not the usual story of a web based business that competes on price with high street retailers. It required some highly innovative thinking which brought together online expertise, new supply chains, consumer insights and a scalable infrastructure to meet the demands of a highly seasonal business. The result is now a £multi-million turnover business per annum from a standing start in 2004.

As the name suggests Schoolblazer supplies school wear but it focuses exclusively on providing this service to contracted independent schools throughout the UK.

As many parents will know school uniforms are still obligatory for most pupils –especially in the independent sector. These uniforms have mainly been supplied by local independent outfitters during a mad rush in July and August before the new school year gets underway. Not only do parents have to drag their reluctant offspring to a shop that’s definitely not ‘cool’ but parents are then faced with the task of sewing name tapes into various items of school clothing. And its not just uniforms, most schools also require pupils to have seasonal sportswear in the school colors.

Just in the independent school sector the total market value is estimated at approximately £200m most of which is realized during this peak trading period in mid-summer.

Schoolblazer recognized that this was a sector ready for a new approach to help both parents and schools. As Robin Horsell, MD, Schoolblazer, comments “We wanted to offer a credible alternative that provided parents with the convenience of an online store, better products and the provision of name taping as part of the service. This type of service also enhances the reputation of the school as they are seen to be embracing online as part of their ethos”.

However, Schoolblazer also needed a different approach to the existing supply chain used by independent retailers. By choosing to source from top brand manufacturers in the Far East rather than UK wholesalers they have been able to offer high quality machine washable garments which ‘raise the bar without raising the price’.

They also needed to solve how to create a flexible infrastructure that could apply high levels of resource and capacity in mid-summer to fulfil 80% of their annual orders. Again, some innovative thinking brought about a symbiotic relationship with a fashion re-processing house that structures their workload to provide a complete outsourcing service for Schoolblazer’s name taping, pick/packing and distribution requirements.

As far as systems are concerned Schoolblazer selected MNP’s OMS software to handle their order management facilities right from their initial set up in 2003.As Robin acknowledges, “MNP has been with us throughout our journey and our relationship with them has been one of the major factors that has underpinned our strong growth”.

“Right from the outset they realized that we were not a typical online ‘pick and pack’ direct commerce operation. We name tape most orders and have an elongated ‘work in progress’ procedure. That’s where MNP has been very flexible in adapting their software to accommodate this. Lots of order management companies would have put hurdles up in telling us why they couldn’t do something rather than why they could”.

“Their software has also been very scalable with a very high return on investment. In our first year we took less than 200 orders. Six years later we can be processing up to 1,000 orders a day with very little additional investment in licences and support”.

“Like any other business we periodically review our suppliers. As far as MNP is concerned we did not fully understand the value of our relationship until we had experience of working with other IT providers. An online business is completely dependent on its website and systems and it brought home the importance of working with reliable and trustworthy partners”.

Schoolblazer is now forecasting additional sales growth of £1m per year and this in turn has required investment in a new 35,000 sq. ft. warehouse which will future proof their operational needs for the next few years. At the same time they are installing MNP’s WMSActive warehouse management solution to achieve further optimised productivity utilizing work flow automation and system generated task driven activities.

“With a customer base of 150+ schools and 25,000 SKUs, our constant drive is to optimize our stock levels to guarantee availability without affecting our cashflow. I think WMS will professionalize our operations even further” says Robin.

As Robin concludes, “It’s great that we have not even come close to stretching MNP’s capacity to provide us with the right solutions for our business”.

SOLE TRADER - Draft

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Soletrader has been a brilliant success story over the years. Part of a group founded in 1946 that has developed strong relations with cultural icons like Dr Martens, Soletrader supplies some of the most on-trend and sought-after shoes on the market. Hand selecting the best shoes, boots, and trainers, Soletrader offers superior collections for men and women, from vintage classics to modern originals.

According to statista.com, consumer spending on footwear in the United Kingdom (UK) demonstrated a gradual annual increase since 2005. In 2021, expenditure on footwear was worth approximately £11.2 billion, which was an increase on the previous year. Most recent data on UK households shows that majority of footwear purchases took place via online channels.

With such stiff competition from high street chains and independent stores, selling in-store and online, Soletrader needed to develop a distinctive competitive advantage. It was decided that in addition to their superb range of shoes, the customer experience is what mattered most and must be delivered across all retail channels. Soletrader selected MNP’s order management platform, OrderActive, in 2007 to become the central real-time inventory and customer data hub.

Denner Cashmere

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Established In 1994, Denner Cashmere was created when Harriet Denner saw an opportunity to supply quality and affordable cashmere to her local community of Battersea in London. Initially sourcing cashmere from Mongolia, word of mouth quickly took over and the brand grew in popularity. Almost 30 years later, Denner’s Clapham store is now the go-to place in London for cashmere and their catalogue is enjoyed by over 30,000 customers.

Global retail has experienced a shift in recent years towards online shopping. This, coupled with the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, has meant that in order to maintain their popularity, independent fashion retailers have needed to adapt and not rely entirely on quality products and personal service.

Bella Di Notte

Wed, 04 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000

It started with a vest.

Bella Di Notte is one of our favourite success stories. In search of romance on a trip to Italy, Susan would fall in love, but not as she expected.

While taking in the local scenery of Umbria, Susan was hunting for something to keep her warm on an unusually chilly winters day. She happened upon a beautiful vest, made from merino wool silk. Later that day, she arrived home and tried it on, the vest was warm and soft, while also being stylish and glamorous.

That vest would be the catalyst that would inspire Susan to create a successful business that caters to women all over the UK, who can now share in Susan's love for warm, comfortable and sexy Italian-made thermal vests.

Christopher Ward Watches

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000

A mutual love for horology led friends Mike France, Peter Ellis and Chris Ward to venture into business together.

During a boat trip down the Thames in May 2004, the three friends were discussing a potential joint business venture and luxury watches was where all of their interests converged.

After liaising with a contact in the luxury watch industry, the three friends were shocked at the markup from manufacture to RRP that most Swiss manufacturers used. One brand in particular was marking up by 34 times.

Realising there was a potential opportunity in the industry, Mike, Peter and Chris set about creating a premium watch brand that would avoid the huge overheads and margins of their competitors and provide “the cheapest most expensive watches in the world”.