Rue21 taps Maple Lade for assortment planning

Warrendale, Pa. -- Rue21 has begun to implement assortment planning software from Maple Lake Ltd. The technology has the potential to reduce markdowns and increase profitability by allowing the company to constantly monitor and assort the newest trends for girls and guys between its store locations, Maple Lake said.



The teen retailer is growing rapidly, opening over a hundred stores a year, and its ongoing expansion into new markets and fast turnaround of stock requires quick and accurate planning. The Maple Lake software is being implemented to assist in identifying key trends and making sure the right products are destined for the right stores.



“In a ‘fast fashion’ model, every store has a unique product mix and volume need, so with improved planning and allocation technology we intend to significantly improve our visibility and speed of response to these varying customer demands,” said Mark Chrystal, senior VP planning and allocation, rue21, Warrendale, Pa., which operates 757 stores nationwide.