LOGISTICS ARA CONSULTING

• Develop After Sales Programs including Tracking and Customer Interaction
• Develop store level Best Practices that will enable store professionals to interact effectively with their customers
• Train and Develop Teams to Implement Initiatives
• Review and Recommendations for Store Operational Enhancements, including but not limited to Customer Service, Receiving and Shipping, POS, Loss Prevention, Office Functions
• Strategic Planning for Expansion and Enhancements

• Comprehensive Review of logistics in order to ensure that merchandise is delivered as quickly as possible, at a reasonable cost, ensuring that a competitive edge is maintained while enhancing margins. Areas to look at include, but are not limited to:
  • Transportation choices including cost analysis
  • Seasonal goals for when merchandise is to be received
  • Routing Guide analysis, including compliance and chargeback programs
  • Review of Distribution Center Processes
• Develop strategies to improve productivity while enhancing margins
• Implementation and training to achieve desired results

Case Study – International Department Store

Challenge

• Lacked a comprehensive strategy to deliver merchandise from market in time to take full advantage of full price selling and increased margins.
  • Lost 3% in Margin $$ in the six week sale period ending the current season due to a lack of new merchandise full price selling to offset the clearance sales
• Wanted to achieve delivery goals to protect and enhance Profitability, while keeping transportation costs within realistic and reasonable guidelines

Solution

• Developed 4 Categories of merchandise priorities
  • Each category was assigned a maximum number of days for delivery to the Distribution center
• The buyer assigns a category for each order and Logistics works with the freight forwarder to pick up and deliver the order according to guidelines
• Goal is to have 70% of new receipts delivered by the beginning of the second month of the new season.

Results are not yet complete; however merchandise is flowing steadily into the Distribution Center according to schedule meaning Full Priced selling will be fully realized