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With consumers constantly demanding the latest trends, 'fast fashion' has become the mantra for clothing retailers. A varied and ever-changing product range is key and understanding of what customers demand is vital. Independent retailer Urban Surfer has implemented innovative retail technology in order to better serve the customer and compete with the high street multiples.
Founded ten years ago by entrepreneurs Ben Browning (previously of Mambo UK) and Luke Martinez, Urban Surfer has gone from strength to strength. The first to launch a dedicated womenswear surf store in the UK, Urban Surfer has two adjoining stores (womenswear and menswear) and has recently added a licensed Taittinger café bar to its site in Exeter, Devon.
Retailing a variety of cutting edge brands including Ripcurl, Quiksilver, Billabong, Hurley and Lost, Urban Surfer invested in a retail management system featuring Epson's touchscreen Intelligent Register (IR) and software from Esperus Systems, to help the company improve many aspects of its operation. "In the fashion trade everything is done in advance and so planning and predicting is a huge part of what we do," explained Ben Browning, Director of Urban Surfer. "Competing with the High Street can be difficult as an independent retailer. We needed a system which would give us a balance of power by helping us to forecast more effectively, enable better buying decisions, track stock and boost customer service."
Genesis 2000 software from fashion specialist Esperus, combined with Epson's fully-integrated IR, delivers Urban Surfer a total retail solution to manage front and back-office applications including PoS, colour and size management, stock control, sales reporting, purchase orders and accounting. The software also interfaces with Urban Surfer's newly launched eCommerce operation, facilitating the order and dispatch of goods sold via its website.
Increasing transaction speeds and keeping waiting times down to a minimum, Epson's fast and intuitive IRs also help Urban Surfer to communicate with customers at the point of sale: "The built-in printer allows us to customise receipts to feature our logo which helps to promote the brand and build awareness," commented Ben. With customer service obviously a major priority, Urban Surfer is also implementing a special loyalty scheme. 'Urban Surfer Nation' will enable customers to earn points and qualify for special offers. Linked to the Esperus software, it will allow the company to track purchases and identify buying patterns.
"The system has effectively become our crystal ball. We use the information it provides to see exactly what's selling. As a result we can be much more proactive, plan ahead more efficiently and meet customer demand," said Ben. He concluded: "The Epson IRs have performed very well and have proved to be extremely reliable. Design was an important factor for us when choosing an EPoS terminal and the compact, all-in-one IR complements our environment and looks great in-store."
 more about Intelligent Register (IR)
more about choosing an EPoS system
For further information contact
Michael Pavlou, Esperus Systems; tel: 020 8920 9888
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