Mulberry, the UK fashion brand has deployed the Aptos’s Order Management solution. Aptos, a provider in retail technology solutions. The system – which serves as a centralised commerce hub will help Mulberry profitably manage orders through their lifecycle. This has been implemented across the brand’s vast retail estate, which includes stores and its online channel.
Founded in 1971, Mulberry has grown into the largest designer and manufacturer of luxury leather goods in the UK. The company has several Somerset factories and a design studio in London. Mulberry is a truly global lifestyle brand with bags, accessories, jewellery, eyewear and shoes available in over 120 stores worldwide. In addition to the digital flagship at mulberry.com.
A path to unified commerce
Mulberry recognised the need to establish a unified view of inventory whether stock was in stores, distribution centres or elsewhere. Ultimately, achieving this single view of stock best equips Mulberry to meet customer expectations for seamless online/offline experiences. Mulberry wanted faster delivery and heightened convenience.
George Clark, Technology and Customer Experience Director at Mulberry says, “eCommerce adoption is accelerating largely driven by the pandemic. It is clear the future of retail belongs to those brands that can offer a cohesive and differentiated omnichannel strategy.”
“After a thorough review of the order management market, we selected and implemented Aptos Order Management,” Clark added. “Given the solution’s advanced functionality, including in areas such as enterprise inventory and distributed order management. We knew we could offer customers more flexible, fulfilment options while increasing profitability for our business.”
Omni-channel global deployment
The solution is now deployed across multiple countries in Europe, Asia and North America. As a result, Mulberry can holistically manage a wide range of fulfilment scenarios. This includes buy online, ship from warehouse. Additionally, buy online, ship from store; and in-store pickup whether the product is being fulfilled from warehouse or store inventory.
With Aptos Order Management, Mulberry has core capabilities for enterprise inventory visibility, order orchestration and routing, customer service, store fulfilment. The solution also served a critical need when Mulberry’s shops were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As a result of our omnichannel approach and use of Aptos’ order management solution, we were able to fulfil online orders with products ‘trapped’ in closed stores during lockdowns,” Clark said. “The ability to sell-through store inventory was a strategic advantage to our business during the pandemic.”
“Mulberry is committed to offering customers a fully unified bricks and clicks experience,” Clark added. “This includes interactions with our brand, both omnichannel and experience rich, fusing the best of the physical and digital worlds. We are excited to move forward on our vision for modern retailing, and with our Aptos partnership.”
“We are proud to work with Mulberry. A British brand that celebrates creativity and takes great pride in its quality and heritage,” said Aptos CEO Pete Sinisgalli. “With Aptos’ Order Management solution, Mulberry has the tools it needs to offer stellar customer experiences and optimise back-end processes. A powerful combination as it surges ahead on its unified commerce journey.”
Enterprise Times: What this means for business.
In an era of virtually limitless choice, sustained competitive advantage only comes to retailers who truly understand their customers. Retailers and brands must be able to provide customers and prospects what they want and why they buy. Mulberry say it is committed to a deep understanding of each of its clients. In addition, the company wants to fulfil their needs for a comprehensive omni-channel solutions.
Customers are demanding digital-first experiences that deliver superior customer experience. Brands like Mulberry want engaging and efficient experiences to deliver to their consumers. They need to effectively understand what makes customer tick and what they want to buy. This is the role of an agile and modern solution. That enables superb customer engagement and differentiation in a competitive marketplace. Aptos appears to be making inroads in retail and therefore must be doing something right for its retail customers.
