Retail Pro International Caters to Specialty Retailers Globally

When retail consultant Jim Dion delivers his keynote address at the Retail Pro Global Conference, to be held Oct. 14–18 in Cancun, Mexico, he’ll offer retail attendees nuggets of retailing wisdom. However, one thing is for certain: The attendees will already know the importance of a solid retail software solution.

Retail Pro International, headquartered in Folsom, Calif., is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its brand this year. The software solutions provider has made its name catering to specialty retailers, with 40 percent of its clients operating in the apparel industry. “Retailers, in general, are very creative in the way they do business,” said marketing and design manager Alexandra Frith, “and they want things tailored to exactly the way they want to operate.”

Instead of a modular suite of programs, Retail Pro offers a comprehensive system that can be completely tailored to meet a retailer’s needs, Frith said, whether it’s a single store or a multi-national corporation. From back office to point-of-sale, Retail Pro manages everything from merchandising and inventory to employee management and customer relationships while operating on a Windows platform.

Currently installed in over 40,000 retail locations worldwide, Retail Pro uses a network of business partners to supply customer support in 63 countries. And a global viewpoint is built right into the software. “We’re known for our ’multi’ factor—multi-channel, multi-lingual, multi-tax, multi-currency, multi-country. Regardless of where you’re doing business—in the U.S., Europe, China, Latin America, Africa or Middle East—we are able to adjust to the requirements of local laws and regulations, manage a variety of tax scenarios, and roll it all into a manageable solution for the retailer. The global aspect is a huge asset,” Frith said.

Retail Pro does not publish its pricing structure, as its software is sold through a network of business partners that set their own pricing structure. Price is generally quoted after a consultation and is based on a retailer’s number of stores and cashier stations, as well as customization and integration needs. Training, which takes about two weeks, is provided by authorized business partners, as well as through an in-house training department, with options for online, classroom and on-site training.

Earlier this year, Retail Pro unveiled a new e-commerce feature that integrates online retailing with bricks-and-mortar operations and will be given significant upgrades in functionality over the next year, Frith said. And in 2012, Retail Pro will release the next generation of its Retail Pro solution, which will allow retailers to improve their total cost of ownership by reducing hardware and infrastructure requirements.

Retail Pro’s annual conference brings together business partners for networking opportunities and users to get the most out of their software. “It is a great chance for us to give back to our retail community,” Frith said, “by providing them with tools and training for better business and greater profitability.”—Christian Chensvold