Articles

RSS

Click Here To Download:
•Case Study: The Plantation Shop

Used with permission from Integrated Solutions For Retailers magazine

The Plantation Shop, based in Atlanta, specializes in antiques and reproduction furniture, home accessories, and children's clothing. A family business in existence for 25 years, it markets products through three retail outlets in Atlanta; Charlotte, NC; and Amelia Island, FL. In addition, it sells children's clothing through home shows conducted by hostesses. About four years ago, The Plantation Shop began offering its products online. With a new outlet store opening in Nashville in 2006 and manual processes for online purchases taking their toll, Wilson Tennille, chief operating officer, was ready to upgrade the online purchase process to boost efficiency.

It became cumbersome to fill orders placed at theplantationshop.com. For online orders, each was printed, availability was checked manually in the inventory management system, and the order was processed at the warehouse and shipped. The Web site operated as an online catalog, displaying all items carried by the retailer, not necessarily those in stock. If an item was not available in inventory, the office staff followed up with the customer. Four years ago, The Plantation Shop deployed Celerant Technology's Retail Management System to manage inventory in its stores. Through Celerant's newsletters announcing new products and services, Tennille learned of services that could integrate The Plantation Shop's Web site with its inventory management system. According to Tennille, "We were looking to reduce manual processes, interface the Web site to inventory and shipping systems, and report on the different channels of business to improve efficiency and support a planned expansion of product lines."

Click Here To Download:
•Case Study: The Plantation Shop