The Reinvention Of Specialty Retail

February 2012 Integrated Solutions For Retailers

By Erin Harris, associate editor

Nakajima USA designs, sells, and distributes some of the world’s most popular lifestyle products. This specialty retailer has handled an extensive range of items for global brands, including Disney, Warner Brothers, and the internationally renowned Sanrio “Hello Kitty®” character. Today, Nakajima USA is the primary partner in managing Sanrio’s U.S. presence, including Sanrio’s wholesale gift division, all independently run licensed Sanrio stores, as well as day-to-day management of Nakajima-owned retail locations throughout the United States. Until recently, Sanrio’s corporate retail locations, now owned and operated by Nakajima USA, had been operating the same POS system for more than 14 years. Antiquated POS hardware and software combined with an inability to attain PCI compliance led Jennifer Pearce, director of company stores at Nakajima USA, to research a new POS system. Little did Pearce know that the new POS system would far exceed the company’s expectations.