Peacock enhances profitability

The British value retailer The Peacock Group is implementing Freeborders'100% browser-based Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software. With this new software tool the company hopes to enhance its effectiveness and the speed with which products are brought to market, thereby pushing revenue growth. The new PLM software should drive the Group's revenues by improving sourcing, inventory management and other operational activities.

The Group operates 760 stores under the Peacocks and Bonmarché brands and sells clothing, footwear and housewares. Tim Bettley, managing director of the Peacocks Division told reporters: "With the expansion of the Peacocks chain and the acquisition of Bonmarché in 2002, it became clear that we required technology solutions that would scale to meet the growth and enable us to better collaborate and speed products to market."

Freeborders Product Manager will allow real-time coordination between the Peacock Group and its supply chain. Furthermore, it will shorten the product lifecycle and enable the company to expand its product lines faster.

Freeborders Workflow is a web-based tool that manages the global lifecycle of products. This entails product planning through to design, production and delivery. With this tool the retailer will be able to locate the product, and automatically track and revise its internal and external whereabouts. According to the managing director of Freeborders Europe, Mark Harrop, "speed-to-market is the key factor that enables retailers to maintain competitive edge and to improve their profitability."