Liberty overhauls retail information systems

Liberty Store, London

Liberty, the world-famous London department store, will deploy new business management software to overhaul its retail operations and move towards a more multichannel, centralised business model.

The deal with specialist software provider Prologic includes server hardware and new touchscreen electronic point-of-sale [EPOS] terminals for the retailer's Great Marlborough Street department store.

Prologic is providing its Oracle-based CIMS 7.6 platform specifically developed fashion retail and wholesale businesses. And the new software will support both Liberty's London-based retail operations and its wholesale business, which spans Europe, the US and Middle East.

Jonathan Samols, IT director at Liberty said: "CIMS 7.6 will touch all areas of our business and will be accessed by everyone, from buying and merchandising employees to sales assistants on the shop floor right through to back-office staff.

"Critically, in using a single version, single database product such as CIMS, we have centralised information systems and integrated business processes which enable us to operate far more efficiently," he added.

The centralised database approach of the software is anticipated to provide the luxury retailer with better reporting and stock management capabilities, while the updated systems will provide it with a base from which to launch more multichannel initiatives. Liberty currently has no e-commerce presence, but is due to go live with its new retail management platform in the autumn.

Samols added: "We are transforming Liberty to provide the most luxurious experience to our guests and the modernisation of our systems will allow our staff to provide a faster and more customised service.

"New touchscreen EPOS terminals will also provide sales staff a far more intuitive user interface that will help to speed up transactions and reduce queries in store. Furthermore, the XML interface technology developed in CIMS 7.6 will enable us to achieve an improved level of e-commerce integration," he said.

Miya Knights

A 25-year veteran enterprise technology expert, Miya Knights applies her deep understanding of technology gained through her journalism career to both her role as a consultant and as director at Retail Technology Magazine, which she helped shape over the past 17 years. Miya was educated at Oxford University, earning a master’s degree in English.

Her role as a journalist has seen her write for many of the leading technology publishers in the UK such as ITPro, TechWeekEurope, CIO UK, Computer Weekly, and also a number of national newspapers including The Times, Independent, and Financial Times.