Cath Kidston looks to Retail Assist to facilitate expansion

Sept. 27, 2012 - PRLog -- Cath Kidston, the lifestyle brand famous for its original, vintage inspired prints has selected Managed IT Services from Retail Assist to aid the company’s growth plans. The retailer has recently opened three new UK stores in Chester, Nottingham and Meadowhall this summer with a further three UK stores scheduled to open this autumn.

Mike Padfield, Cath Kidston’s IT Director comments: “As Cath Kidston’s trading hours are growing longer due to our airport and train station outlets, shop staff needed to be confident that they could continue to receive the high standard of support that they were accustomed to. We needed a trusted partner to support our internal IT team, who were busy launching our new UK and international stores.”

Retail Assist has been commissioned to provide a Help Desk service to Cath Kidston stores between 6am and 10pm, 7 days a week. The internal IT team have real time access to Retail Assist’s call management software, meaning complete visibility at all times of any IT issues across the expanding store estate. Retail Assist is responsible for the escalation of any issues to third party suppliers, such as Cath Kidston’s Hardware Maintenance provider, Retail Response.

Padfield continues: “I have previously worked closely with the Retail Assist team, therefore had complete confidence that their Help Desk would be able to deliver the first rate support required, due to the company’s retail and IT specialism and high levels of first time fix rates.”

Cath Kidston has further entrusted Retail Assist to manage global two-way data exchange between its Head Office and overseas partners in Thailand, Taiwan, Japan and Korea. Ra-X is a data exchange solution used by a number of leading retail brands to send and receive product, price, promotion and sales data from store concessions or international locations back to their central operations. Other retailers currently utilising the solution include Aurora Fashions, A|Wear, White Stuff and New Look.

Dan Smith, Retail Assist’s Chief Executive Officer – Managed Services explains: “The Ra-X solution is easy to use, secure and scalable; it is able to support rising volumes of retail data. Ra-X minimises risks and reduces costs by requiring no capital outlay, no hardware or software and no increase in IT headcount.”

Cath Kidston                        www.cathkidston.co.uk

Cath Kidston is a distinctive British lifestyle brand best known for its witty vintage inspired prints and wide array of household and fashion products – from floral china to polka dot bags. Founded by its namesake in 1993, Cath Kidston is one of the most influential and original design companies to emerge from the UK in recent years.

Currently, there are over 50 shops and concessions in the UK and Republic of Ireland, and over 25 in Asia. US private equity group TA Associates acquired a majority stake in the company in 2010. Cath Kidston remains Creative Director and was awarded an MBE for services to business in February 2010.


Retail Assist                              www.retail-assist.com&www.merret.com

Retail Assist is a leading retail-only IT solutions and services company, providing UK and international retailers with end-to-end business applications and services that reduce costs, optimise retail operations and support higher revenues. The company was the first retail-only IT services provider to be awarded ISO20000 accreditation by the BSI.

Retail Assist clients include ASOS, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, WDF, A|Wear, Paperchase, Whistles, Aurora Fashions, Karen Millen, The White Company, Odin Retail, Tec7, Mint Velvet, Jane Norman, REISS, Crew2000, VUE, Signet, Jacques Vert, Precis, Windsmoor, Planet, New Look and White Stuff.

With its Retail Solutions Retail Assist excels in developing, integrating, deploying and supporting customised systems. These include its award-winning Merret supply chain solution. Merret is a real-time, multi-currency, multichannel merchandising, warehousing and stock control solution that covers all areas of the retail supply process. Through working with third parties, Retail Assist also integrates and delivers EPoS systems.

In Managed IT Services, Retail Assist’s proven offerings include 24/365 Help Desk, Technical Services, Operations, Data Centre, Hardware Maintenance and Disaster Recovery. Professional Services cover Retail Business Consultancy and Project Services.