UK footwear manufacturer Clarks has invested in JDA Retail Planning and Intelligent Fulfillment software as part of its global business transformation initiative.
Clarks is preparing to begin making shoes in the UK again, with a new manufacturing facility that will utilise “cutting-edge technology” for greater speed to market and greater flexibility and innovation in design.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Clarks manufacturing model steps into a faster future – Interview
The company says it will be working with JDA to create a global planning process that aligns its central and regional operations so that it can increase efficiency, drive sales and increase consumer satisfaction across all channels.
“Clarks is a truly global brand that is thinking big and innovating to ensure that we are fit for the future and able to cater to today’s modern consumer,” says CEO Mike Shearwood. “Being able to forecast, plan, source and fulfill orders in a much more intelligent manner will enable us to increase customer satisfaction and further our growth, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of shoemaking. JDA’s strong heritage in retail and wholesale, along with its best-in-class technology, gives us huge confidence in achieving this goal and will help us become a more agile and efficient business.”
The footwear retailer has an archive of more than 22,000 styles and trades across 100 countries with over 23,000 distribution points stretched across retail, joint venture, franchise, wholesale and digital channels. The company sells in excess of 50m pairs each year.
In a bid to become a more agile business and ensure customers receive the right product, in the right quantity and at the right time across any channel, Clarks will deploy JDA Retail Planning to build localised assortments for stores and targeted assortments for key accounts and regions that align with corporate objectives.
The company says JDA Intelligent Fulfillment will allow it to better anticipate the omni-channel demand, and secure high and profitable availability of stock, across all channels, through advanced allocation and distribution processes.
