The KarstadtQuelle Group has signed a contract with PCMS’s recently appointed German distributor, ITELLIUM Systems & Services, for the development and implementation of PCMS’s Java-based retail store system BeanStore on around 9,000 till points in Karstadt’s 190 department stores, 294 speciality stores, and Starbucks German franchise operation.
“This is a strategic distribution partnership for Itellium. We have finally selected PCMS & BeanStore because their technology is uniquely attractive and because we feel very comfortable working with them. We intend that the customisation and implementation of BeanStore for Karstadt will be the first of many for Itellium in the coming years. Its international acceptance has wide appeal for us” stated Peter Ohl, CEO of ITELLIUM Systems & Services.
Karstadt Warenhaus, the main subsidiary of the KarstadtQuelle Group, is Europe’s largest department store chain with outlets ranging from over 300 tills in the largest department store to a single till in some of the speciality stores.
ITELLIUM Systems & Services is an independent IT services subsidiary of the KarstadtQuelle Group. The company employs around 1,800 staff in offices in Essen, Frankfurt, Nuremberg and Leipzig.
"A significant reduction in the overall cost of system ownership, and a rapid and precise adjustment to changing business circumstances in today's highly competitive, reduced margin market place were important issues in our evaluation of competing software products", according to Susanne Horstmann, division leader sales management at Karstadt, "We are very confident that the BeanStore solution delivered by Itellium and PCMS in partnership provides the right winning combination to help Karstadt rapidly achieve a number of very attractive business benefits. Karstadt is committed to leveraging technology to create value and service for its customers and value for its shareholders".
BeanStore’s scalability and single architecture will provide the KarstadtQuelle Group with a solution that best meets its needs now and in the future across all retail formats. Benefits include improved customer service, flexibility for future developments – including the integration of different sales channels - and speed of response to changing business requirements. “We wanted to select a platform-independent standards-oriented store system” stated Peter Ohl. “So we looked for a Java-based product that met our demanding requirements for scalability, flexibility and reliability. The consistent use of open standards was an additional important issue to support easy connectivity to our central-based merchandise and financial systems. My evaluation teams have concluded that BeanStore offers the best architecture for a single solution to support many different retail sectors. In particular, it's versatility to embrace the wide range of formats within the KarstadtQuelle Group has been decisive. ”
Lowering the cost of ownership was also an important factor according to Richard Smith, CEO of the PCMS Group. “The Itellium/Karstadt decision is further confirmation of BeanStore's international position as the leading Java based in-store solution. Our focus on helping retailers use technology to progressively move their selling strategy from point of sale to multi-channel point of service whilst, at the same time, driving down the ownership costs of that technology is a winning formula for our customers and for us”.
Itellium joins a growing BeanStore distributor network. “I'm delighted to welcome another outstanding retailer to our international portfolio of BeanStore customers”, says Chris Belk, VP PCMS International Inc, “and to welcome Itellium to our fast growing global partnership which now stretches from Japan to Australia to Europe and North America. The BeanStore technology truly travels and seven by twenty four is reality for the PCMS Group!”
About The KarstadtQuelle Group
The KarstadtQuelle AG, based in Essen/Germany, is Europe’s largest department store and mail order group. The group achieved sales of € 15.8 billion in the business year 2002. The Group's business activities comprise retail outlets, mail order, services/tourism and real estate. The KarstadtQuelle AG has around 105,000 employees (as of June 30, 2002). More information at www.karstadtquelle.com
About ITELLIUM Systems & Services
ITELLIUM Systems & Services GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary and the IT service enterprise of KarstadtQuelle AG. With a staff of around 1,800 at the locations of Essen, Frankfurt, Nuremberg and Leipzig, it is an important independent supplier in the innovative information technology market. More information at www.itellium.com
About the PCMS Group
The PCMS Group is a leading worldwide provider of integrated software, services and hardware systems which enable retailers and distributors to manage their businesses from head office to store to internet home shopping.
Headquartered in Coventry, England, the Group has additional UK offices in Huntingdon & Swindon and a 60-person subsidiary operation in North America. PCMS International‘s growing body of technically proficient distributors (with offices in Cincinnati and Montreal Canada, Japan, Australia, Italy, Germany and France to date) enable PCMS to provide an attractive international support structure for BeanStore and other Group products.
Dual Data Centres in the Managed Services Division embrace a wide range of technology and hardware platforms. Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, they communicate with over 5000 locations daily, some continuously. These responsibilities ensure that PCMS is able to provide an integrated, efficient and fully-managed supply chain outsource service.