Roots allocates store inventory using intelligent criteria

Premium outdoor brand Roots Corp. is transforming its order management and store fulfillment processes with artificial intelligence (AI).

Roots is rolling out the NewStore Omnichannel Platform across its digital channels and network of more than 100 retail stores throughout Canada and the U.S. The company is now using NewStore order management and store fulfillment in an effort to reduce shipping times, improve inventory accuracy, and maximize inventory sell-through across the enterprise.

The AI-based NewStore order management and store fulfillment solutions use proprietary routing logic to allocate order requests across Roots' brick-and-mortar locations and distribution centers, according to the brand's desired prioritization criteria. As a result, Roots seeks to improve customer service levels and better manage shipping costs by directing orders to the appropriate store or distribution center.

Utilizing NewStore technology, Roots is also supporting omnichannel capabilities such as buy online return in-store (BORIS), which the retailer hopes will further improve the customer experience while driving foot traffic.

“We chose NewStore because it is a global omnichannel solution that we can extend over time," said Sonya Thomas, VP of e-commerce and customer experience, Roots.

"NewStore is an impressive, modern, API-first omnichannel solution. We found their technology easy to implement and it yielded immediate results," said Ron Ijack, VP, Information Strategy & Systems, Roots."NewStore easily connects to the various Salesforce systems and MuleSoft/Azure middleware that we use, which fulfills an important requirement for our partner to work with our existing tech stack."

"As an iconic Canadian brand, Roots is held to a higher standard by its fiercely loyal customers. With NewStore, Roots' store associates now have the tools they need to create amazing shopping experiences anytime, anywhere," said Stephan Schambach, founder and CEO, NewStore. "They are one of the many great Canadian brands leading the way for omnichannel retailers everywhere, and their decision to partner with NewStore is a reflection of the activity we are continuing to see in that market." 

[Read more: Specialty outdoor retailer mobile-enables employees]

Roots operates more than 100 retail stores across Canada, two in the U.S. and ships worldwide via its e-commerce platform. The company also has more than 100 partner-operated stores and sells its products through leading third-party retail sites in Asia.