Winning Retailers Look to Fulfill More From the Store Floor

ATLANTA, Jan. 14, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading edge retailers understand that being able to fulfill customer orders from anywhere in the supply chain gives them the flexibility to meet the ever changing shopping patterns of today's omni-channel consumers. These retailers are working with Manhattan Associates MANH to turn traditional brick and mortar stores into flexible fulfillment centers, enabling them to fulfill online orders at the best possible margin, while meeting and exceeding the customer service levels and experiences set by the retail brand.

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A study* from RSR (Retail Systems Research) found that 79 percent of retailers indicated that allowing customers to choose their channels for purchase and delivery of goods was the most important cross-channel opportunity. However, the study revealed that only 38 percent of retail winners** currently have the processes in place to allow for these options. In order for retailers to provide a Zero Disappointment Retail experience, they must be capable of offering customers the flexibility to shop anywhere, anytime.  The challenge to doing this profitably is more than simply taking orders—retailers must have confidence in store inventory levels and the tools necessary to fulfill the orders in the store, whether the customer is picking them up or having them delivered to their home.

"Retailers have managed to isolate their supply chains from cross-channel impacts during the early days of eCommerce, but cross-channel volume has now grown to the point where it can no longer be ignored," said Nikki Baird, managing partner, RSR Research. "Flexibility and a focus on the customer are critical – as is leveraging inventory wherever it may reside within your network." 

Manhattan Associates is helping retailers meet these customer expectations with its Store Commerce Activation solution, which transforms store locations into efficient, omni-channel fulfillment centers. Store Commerce Activation offers benefits in three key areas: store inventory management, store order management and store order fulfillment. The solution enables retail stores to increase inventory accuracy, acknowledge and accept order fulfillment requests and execute order fulfillment directly in the store. Store associates are empowered with expanded capabilities including in-store receiving, price ticket printing, buy online, pick up in-store, web-based parcel shipping and inventory adjustments.  Retailers can see and locate both on-hand and in-flight inventory at any point in the supply chain, track the status of orders, and proactively monitor delivery disruptions. Store Commerce Activation provides powerful mobile inventory management and order fulfillment capabilities as well.

"Now more than ever, the retail store is an extension of the company's brand reputation, providing a customer experience that is designed to create brand loyalty," said Eddie Capel, president and chief executive officer, Manhattan Associates. "Store Commerce Activation helps both the in-store and online customer find products anywhere in the retailer's network and receive them in the most convenient way possible. For retailers, it helps incorporate the store into their digital strategy, providing differentiation from the pure-play e-commerce retailers."

A current Manhattan customer, Lamps Plus, has been using Store Commerce Activation for the past year. "Store Commerce Activation helps improve our inventory accuracy, while reducing the amount of time our associates spend in the back room," said Bill Gratke, vice president, planning & supply chain, Lamps Plus. "It provides a better in-store customer experience, improves our store sales and set the stage for buy-online-pick-up-in-store and ship-from-store operations."

Please ask about Store Commerce Activation at Manhattan's booth #741 at the National Retail Federation's 102^nd Annual Convention & Expo, held Jan. 13-15 at the Jacob K. Javitz Convention Center in New York City. 

For more information on Store Commerce Activation, please read:

• Changing Consumer Behaviors are Re-Casting the Role of the Store Associate
• Doing More on the Store Floor

For more information on the mobile capabilities of Manhattan applications, please visit Manhattan Mobility Labs.

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* – Executing on the Promise: Retail Fulfillment 2012, RSR Research

**– RSR defines retailer winners based on their year-over-year comparable store/channel sales improvements

About Manhattan Associates, Inc.

Manhattan Associates continues to deliver on its 23-year heritage of providing global supply chain excellence to more than 1,200 customers worldwide that consider supply chain optimization core to their strategic market leadership. The company's supply chain innovations include: Manhattan SCOPE® a portfolio of software solutions and technology that leverages a Supply Chain Process Platform to help organizations optimize their supply chains from planning through execution; Manhattan SCALE™, a portfolio of distribution management and transportation management solutions built on Microsoft .NET technology; and Manhattan Carrier™, a suite of supply chain solutions specifically addressing the needs of the motor carrier industry. For more information, please visit www.manh.com.