STORM

Infinity provides consistency to STORM

STORM, the London-based independent fashion accessories retailer, was established in 1989 as a designer, manufacturer and wholesaler of wrist watches for men and women. STORM-branded products were initially available through a combination of independent stockists and department store concessions.

Due to the success of the original products, STORM quickly expanded its range which now includes eyewear and jewellery. Meanwhile, STORM has increased its franchise partners, opened a number of wholly-owned retail outlets and now exports its highly distinctive products to over 40 countries.

STORM’s requirements

Firstly, STORM’s rapid expansion resulted in its inheriting multiple legacy POS software systems that failed to provide consistent management information and caused stock control issues.

Secondly, the multiple systems meant both retail and head office colleagues had to spend considerable time either inputting data at a retail level or extracting data for head office reports. Thirdly, different styles of receipts and guarantees were proving confusing to both customers and employees and were inconsistent with STORM's focus on brand consistency.

STORM decided to seek a POS software partner that could offer a single, consistent, scaleable and robust system across all of STORM’s retail outlets (both franchised and wholly-owned).

To achieve all these objectives, STORM chose Triquestra UK and in particular its Infinity POS system as its strategic POS software partner.

The Infinity POS solution

Triquestra UK took the time to understand STORM’s challenges, including the desire to reduce time inputting daily deliveries and optimising stock levels based on accurate information. This accuracy is important because each STORM store devotes maximum space to displaying its merchandise. Large store rooms simply do not exist in its traditional store foot-print of between 250 square feet – 350 square feet.

The installation of Infinity POS software, firstly at STORM’s store in Manchester, demonstrated the system’s labour-saving capabilities. Infinity uses Microsoft SQL Server technology and automatically updates the store’s stock inventory, thus immediately reducing non-revenue generating activities.

At STORM’s head office, colleagues can see real-time sales and stock reports for over 2000 lines, giving them immediate knowledge of best-selling and slower moving products.

In terms of staff training, just a single day was required due to Infinity’s user-friendly processes. Infinity also helped STORM to effectively display a number of premium lines where a traditional barcode would look unsightly and cause customer frustration.

To ensure future efficiency, Infinity retail point of sale software will be used to display an image of the item to let the retail colleagues identify and process the transaction competently.

The results

Ed Lee, IT & Operations Manager at STORM comments,

“We invested a considerable amount of time in finding a new retail point of sale system that provided the full solution and the Infinity POS system clearly ticked all the boxes.”

He adds,

“It has made us much more productive by reducing the man-hours spent keeping the tills up-to-date and our retail colleagues find the system much easier to use. We’re also producing much more meaningful management information about our customers, helping us to offer the products that they want.”

Ed concludes,

”The Infinity inventory management software has a support team that is very eager to help and to support our business. We are very pleased with how Infinity has performed.”

See the exciting range of stylish accessories online at: stormwatches.com