Member Article

Charles Tyrwhitt collars international growth with IT overhaul

Charles Tyrwhitt, the British heritage menswear brand and multichannel retailer, is supporting its international expansion with an upgrade to its in-store systems with the hardware element of the solution from customer engagement technology specialists Box Technologies. With initial consultancy involvement for the hardware POS from DataTherapy, a custom software developer.

As well as continuing to grow its UK store estate, with 26 current outlets and a further store opening planned in Marlow in October, Charles Tyrwhitt also has a growing US footprint – it already has a store presence in Washington, Chicago and New York, and most recently opened a new store in Westfield’s World Trade Centre mall in August 2016.

This, combined with ambitious growth plans mapped through to 2018/19, meant the retailer’s existing point of sale (PoS) system wouldn’t be able to support its ongoing expansion strategy.

Having already invested in new software with a unified and fully integrated global platform based on the Microsoft Dynamics AX platform, which was implemented by strategic ERP partner K3 Retail, Charles Tyrwhitt’s legacy PoS hardware needed replacing to be able to fully support the new system.

Richard Birt, Head of IT Service Delivery and Infrastructure at Charles Tyrwhitt, commented: “We knew our new PoS hardware needed to deliver both function and form. It had to support the AX platform in order to deliver improved performance, so store staff can deliver the seamless ‘one tap, one click’ experiences our customers expect at the till point, whilst also matching the contemporary aesthetics of our stores with the design of the cash and wrap areas.”

“After a collaborative workshop at Box Technologies’ In-store Technology Centre, which allowed us to see and evaluate a multitude of products, we were supported by tailored, expert consultancy from the DataTherapy and Box Technologies teams. This led us to choose a bespoke Cielo PX-515 solution that fully met our requirements,” Birt said.

Raj Parmar Marketing Director, Box Technologies said “Our products are completely customisable and the sleek design of our hardware was in keeping with Charles Tyrwhitt’s British heritage in-store style. The base of the unit was also modified to meet the brand’s specific needs, delivering a solution that enhanced the point of service by ensuring the POS system didn’t create a barrier between their staff and customers - the screen can now fold down and is partially integrated into the desk to deliver a clean finish.”

“Our focus going forward is to put the customer at the heart of our operations, as we look to deliver more interactive, convenient and personalised in-store encounters – Box Technologies has helped us to achieve another step towards this goal,” Birt concluded.

The roll out of the new solution is set to span 8 - 12 weeks and will be implemented across Charles Tyrwhitt’s entire global store estate.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Chelsea Reay .