Shopping for Technology at MAGIC
Apparel manufacturers and retailers will have ample opportunity to check out the latest from technology vendors at MAGIC Marketplace Aug. 28–31 in Las Vegas.
The show has been growing its technology offerings through its Sourcing at MAGIC section, as well as in its main apparel sections. However, there appears to be a break in the action as market leaders such as Gerber Technology and Lectra USA, which made their debuts in February, will not be on hand this time as they opted to put their energies into Material World New York, set for Sept. 26–28 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
Still, exhibitors representing retail systems, e-commerce and a smattering of enterprise systems will be at MAGIC. Among them is GCS Computers Inc. (GCSnet.com), based in New York, which will be showing its A2000 ERP (enterprise resource planning) system for the first time. It provides a platform for product data management, EDI, forecasting, inventory, costing, order processing, allocation, and sales and warehouse management.
“We’re Oracle-based, so we’re very scalable and can handle one user to thousands,” said GCS President James Gottlieb. “It makes for a good price structure as well.”
Its clients include Marc Jacobs and Andrew Marc, as well as several West Coast accounts. The company was founded in 1984. All product development is done in-house, Gottlieb said, and no third party software is used. “It makes for smoother integration.”
Carene Wallace, Jason Kronish and Frank Turchino will represent the company at MAGIC. The company also is taking space at Material World.
Pilsoo Kim and his Newport Beach, Calif.–based company PKIM Inc. will show his database and point-of-sale applications— all developed from an apparel manufacturing model, which allows users to track production from sales to shipping. The retail system provides point-of-sale inventory management, including store-to-store tracking, customer purchases and gift certificates. It links to the manufacturing database as well.
“This will be our second time at MAGIC. We did well at the last show and hope to continue,” Kim said. The company’s booth will be located in WWDMAGIC.
Other business systems at MAGIC include Retail Pro and CAM Commerce Solutions, which will be in the casual lifestyle section; Merchant Technologies, in the young men’s area; and Intuit/ Quick Books, in the streetwear section.
E-commerce has been gaining more importance at MAGIC. New York–based E-Fashion Solutions is taking a very visible location in the main hall lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
“Companies are reevaluating their ecommerce strategies right now, so they are a little bit hungry,” noted E-Fashion principal Edward Foy Jr., a former Macy’s executive. “They’re faced with scalability issues and want to make e-commerce profitable or more profitable.”
Foy will be highlighting the company’s new retail solution, which it successfully beta-tested with Mandee stores on the East Coast. The company is focusing its vendor-based product on the high-end; it recently snagged DKNY as a client. Foy said the company provides complete e-commerce services for manufacturers, from building Web sites to customer service and providing analytical data to clients.
For more information on MAGIC, visit www.magiconline.com.
OptiTex Expands in India
New York–based OptiTex, which specializes in CAD and 3D systems, is opening a new sales and service center in Bangalore, India, its second in the country after New Delhi.
The center is aimed at expanding business for the developing textile industry in Southeast Asia, where OptiTex does business with companies such as Sabs Export, Orient Fashions, Orient Craft, ITC and Shahi Exports, among others.
“The new center we are setting up in India will expand our field of expertise and the scope of our offerings,” said Saar Machtinger, Asia director for OptiTex. “We intend to attract new customers and strengthen our presence in the Asian markets, and to improve still further the level of service to our customers around the world.”
Gerber to Launch Marker System
Tolland, Conn.–based Gerber Technology is releasing AccuNest Expert Edition, a new marker-making system designed for high-volume manufacturers with broad product categories.
It uses multiple nesting and compaction processors to deliver maximum yields.
The system is run with multiple-engine capability and can shorten markers made manually or automatically by compacting the pieces to eliminate excess material between parts. In beta tests, uniform maker Cintas realized savings of close to 5 cents per unit.
“Compared to manual marking, we can achieve fast, equivalent or better results on tested styles,” said Liza Durbin, manager of product development for Cintas. “There’s no doubt about the added savings we’ll capture by running the program 24/7. It requires minimal training, no benefits, limited operator involvement, and there’s no turnover.”
For more information, visit www.gerbertechnology.com.
