N Brown transforming into “digital-first” retailer

Multi-brand fashion retailer, N Brown has hired Sopra Steria to help it with its “biggest business transformation” in its 140-year history, as it looks to reposition itself from a direct mail-led retailer to a “digital-first” brand.

To support its new digital strategic direction, N Brown is partnering with digital transformation company Sopra Steria, who will assist the retailer in the creation of a unique platform to help N Brown drive technology change and business transformation.

Sopra Steria, who won the contract after a competitive pitch, will oversee the brand's ongoing transformation by handling the core applications and infrastructure support service responsible for the management of IT service sub-contractors, data centres, servers and mainframes. In addition, the firm will also provide technical support across a number of N Brown locations including its national headquarters, call centres, stores, UK warehouses and other remote locations.

N Brown partners with Sopra Steria for digital strategic plan

“Sopra Steria was a natural partner with an impressive track record in delivering similar projects at scale, and whose culture and approach nearly matched our own,” said N Brown chief operating officer Andy Haywood. “Together with Sopra Steria, N Brown will have the ability to become more agile, responsive and, most importantly, focused on customer experience and satisfaction. We will move towards being a technology company that sells fashion, rather than just a fashion company using technology.”

This new partnership is part of a long-term plan, which in last month’s full-year financial results chief executive officer Angela Spindler said the business was “mid-way” through, and the results have shown, in January, e-commerce accounted for 66 percent of N Brown’s overall sales.

N Brown brands includes JD Williams, a department store concept that offers style for 50-plus customers and their families, with ranges for women, men, home and kids, while Simply Be caters for the plus-size market, and Jacamo is its menswear brand offer fashion available in sizes small to 5XL.

Image: courtesy of N Brown/JD Williams