Global fashion brand unifies view of omnichannel inventory

Mulberry is deploying new order management technology across its enterprise.

The U.K.-based designer and manufacturer of luxury leather goods, which sells globally in over 120 stores and on its e-commerce site, is rolling out the Aptos order management solution. Mulberry is implementing the Aptos system, which serves as a centralized omnichannel commerce hub, across its stores and e-commerce operation.

As it continues to expand operations internationally, with customer interactions more often crossing both the digital and physical channels, Mulberry recognized the need to establish a unified view of inventory. The company needed to know whether stock was positioned in stores, distribution centers, or elsewhere in its demand chain.

By obtaining a unified, omnichannel view of stock location, Mulberry increases its ability to meet customer expectations for a seamless experience across all channels, as well as for faster delivery and heightened convenience.

With the solution now deployed across multiple countries in Europe, Asia and North America, Mulberry is able to holistically manage omnichannel orders placed from customer touchpoints including e-commerce, ship-from-store, and in-store pickup, whether products are being fulfilled from a warehouse or a store’s inventory.

Mulberry has also gained core capabilities for enterprise inventory visibility, order orchestration and routing, customer service, and store fulfillment. The solution also served a critical need when Mulberry’s brick-and-mortar stores were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling the retailer to fulfill online orders with products that were “trapped” in stores during lockdown periods.

Specialty sportswear retailer Finish Line Inc. also recently rolled out Aptos solutions to manage inventory with enhanced precision and automation. As a result, the retailer intends to enable faster response as market conditions and consumer demand patterns shift. Looking ahead, The Finish Line is focusing on optimizing areas including demand forecast and price optimization. Currently, the company is also applying artificial intelligence (AI) to determine the best location to fulfill an order, which is not always determined solely by geography.

“As e-commerce adoption accelerates, driven in large part by the pandemic, it is clear that the future of retail belongs to those brands that can offer a cohesive and differentiated omnichannel strategy,” said George Clark, technology and customer experience director at Mulberry. “After a thorough review of the order management market, we selected and implemented Aptos order management. Given the solution’s advanced functionality, including in areas such as enterprise inventory and distributed order management, we knew we could offer customers more flexible, ‘phygital’ fulfillment options while increasing profitability for our business.”

“We are proud to work with Mulberry – an iconic British brand that celebrates creativity and takes great pride in its quality and heritage,” said Aptos CEO Pete Sinisgalli. “With Aptos’ order management solution, Mulberry has the tools it needs to offer stellar customer experiences and optimize back-end processes – a powerful combination as it surges ahead on its unified commerce journey.”