Cloud capabilities transform Paul Smith customer experience

This article is brought to you by Retail Technology Review: Cloud capabilities transform Paul Smith customer experience.

International designer menswear and lifestyle brand, Paul Smith, has redefined the shopper experience across its global store estate with the implementation of a cloud-based omnichannel retail solution from Cegid.

With over 200 stores in 16 countries including the UK, China, South Africa and the USA, Paul Smith looked to the cloud for a rapid, cost-effective solution for delivering greater customer engagement. Cegid's cloud-based omnichannel retail management solution, Yourcegid Retail, provided Paul Smith with the agile approach needed to build personalised, mobile moments around the customer, and to draw on data across the business to create a truly omnichannel shopper experience.

The transformation began two years ago when Paul Smith decided to do a complete system overhaul, including a new ERP solution integrated with the Point of Sale (POS). Paul Smith rolled the software out in two phases, starting with the UK, before a rest of the world launch.

One of the immediate gains Paul Smith has seen since implementing the Yourcegid Retail solution is speed of deployment, allowing the brand to explore new growth opportunities. For example, it can now activate a pop-up store in less than two weeks, whereas before the set up time was 10 weeks. This agility is enabling the retailer to think differently about the opportunities that become available, allowing it to take advantage of short-term leases to promote the Paul Smith brand and drive traffic to its ecommerce site.

Cegid's cloud technology is also adding value in Paul Smith's permanent stores. Staff can now access real-time stock information at store level, as a live stock picture, which has increased inventory visibility by 90%. Meanwhile, better data flow between the POS and ERP system has allowed 100% accurate hourly synching of information.

Further to this, Yourcegid Retail allows Paul Smith greater analysis of live customer data via its gift card scheme. This has reduced customer database duplications by 90%, providing the retailer with a much clearer picture of each shopper's individual value.

Paul Smith now plans to use the platform to enhance its omnichannel offering, as James Horsley, Finance Director at Paul Smith, explained:

"We want to develop the customer experience even further. Mobile POS is next on our agenda, which will give us the opportunity to serve shoppers more flexibly, and explore how mobile technology allows for new store formats. In fact, we have just gone live with a new tablet showroom initiative to improve its customer journey, which it hopes to pilot in other stores going forward.

"A year is a long time in retail, and who knows what the future will bring. The one thing we do know is that we need to be flexible, and choosing cloud software from Cegid gives us that flexibility," Horsley concluded.

Sylvain Jauze, Director of International Operations, Cegid, said: "We're delighted to be helping an iconic British fashion brand like Paul Smith deliver even greater customer centricity. Cloud technology is proving instrumental in enabling retailers to deliver a relevant, consistent customer experience worldwide, and Paul Smith is demonstrating the immediate value that a SaaS approach adds."