While Europeans have their own distinctive sense of style, there is still plenty of wardrobe space devoted to US fashion brands such as Levis, Gap, DKNY and Calvin Klein. Thanks to its blend of classic cuts and urban cool, Tommy Hilfiger is one of the latest to attract a faithful following on this side of the Atlantic.

Established in 1997, Tommy Hilfiger Europe had become the company's largest and fastest-growing geographic licensee by 2001 when the business was taken in-house. Tommy Hilfiger now hopes to leverage the brand's existing strength with continued expansion into new locations - ten new stores were opened in the first quarter of 2002 - and the addition of new products. To support its Pan-European growth, Tommy quickly recognised the need for a single retail management IT system throughout its entire European estate, capable of supporting the Euro, various local currencies, VAT, cards and other payment types.

After a thorough evaluation, the company turned to retail solution provider, Anker, which has installed its International Power EPoS system in all the existing Tommy Hilfiger sites in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Austria and the UK. All new stores will also have the scalable system, which includes EPoS, store management, a gateway to ERP and integrated e-mail.

Combined with best of breed hardware such as scanners and fast Epson TM-T88II thermal receipt printers, Power for Retail's user-friendly interface -with its on-screen prompts and automated discounting - ensures transactions can be processed with optimum efficiency. The software also includes tools to implement complex promotions, sales prompts and staff/branch sales targets. In the back office, Tommy Hilfiger has access to all the necessary management capabilities, including stock control, as well as performance target monitoring.

The single platform across all stores means that data is instantly available throughout Tommy Hilfiger's European operation, while the central data management allows each store to concentrate on further enhancing the customer experience and increasing sales.

"We are delighted to be working with Anker, a pan-European organisation that can provide installation, maintenance and helpdesk support in our new stores across Europe," reflected Mike Day, European Vice President from Tommy Hilfiger. "This, together with the efficacy of International Power, were deciding factors in choosing to work with Anker for our European expansion programme."

For further information contact
Mike Wheble, Anker Systems Tel: 0870 905 1300.