Nickolls and Perks, a 220-year-old independent wine and spirit merchant, will ditch ageing software, including its Sage 50 accounting system, in favour of WineSuite, a cloud-based solution for the wine industry built by FHL, powered by NetSuite. The business will be running on WineSuite by September 2017 and online sales are expected to double within the first two years of using the solution.
With 25 per cent of Nickolls and Perks’ business currently coming via its online shop and Amazon, the merchant sees massive growth potential. By having a single technology platform for all parts of the business, growth will be simple to manage, there will be less business risk and the customer experience will be best-in-class – something the merchant hasn’t had with Sage 50, separate eCommerce systems and on-premise servers.
Will Gardener, managing director of Nickolls and Perks, says, “We have outgrown our Sage accounting system. It no longer supports our growing business and is holding back our eCommerce plans. As WineSuite comes with pre-configured wine industry features and is powered by NetSuite, we can move quickly, scale when we choose and have the flexibility to respond quickly to customers and our market. The end result will be a more efficient operation, a first-rate customer experience and a significant uplift in sales and profitability. We expect to double online sales by September 2019.”
FHL will manage the WineSuite implementation and integration of Nickolls and Perks’ eCommerce site. Integration with Amazon marketplaces will increase online sales further – up to 20 per cent by September 2019.
Gardener says, “Unlike Sage, WineSuite has a single, powerful database and so all the latest information, from product quantities through to tasting notes, will be available at our fingertips. This will improve stock control and allow us to provide an enhanced customer experience.
“Our new eCommerce site will be easier to navigate, more interactive and highly responsive, especially from tablets and Smartphones, encouraging repeat custom and boosting sales.” With specialist features including multi-currency capabilities, reserves and portfolio management, bonded warehouse management, an en primeur sales module and duty and bond management, WineSuite has been specifically developed to make operating within the wine trade as hassle-free as possible. Gardener comments, “10,000 cases of wine stored in reserve for private clients need to be effectively monitored to ensure they are provided with the latest information. WineSuite’s reserves management feature will make it quick and easy to provide our clients with up-to-date intelligence, such as when they should be considering drinking or selling their wines.”
Although Nickolls and Perks is principally focused on growing its online retail channel, the merchant expects that WineSuite will also increase trade sales, which currently account for up to 40 per cent of total business sales.
Trade clients will be able to clearly see historic purchases and have up-to-date pricing, availability and location information at a click of a button, streamlining the whole buying process. The merchant anticipates a 10 per cent increase in trade sales within the first two years of using the solution.
Looking ahead, Nickolls and Perks is excited about working with FHL to develop the WineSuite solution further. Gardener adds, “FHL’s partnership-led approach was a real selling point for us. The company is keen to work closely with us to create an even better and more tailored solution, and so we’re excited about where our journey to the Cloud takes us.”
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