Skechers, the performance and lifestyle footwear brand, has selected Manhattan Associates solutions to orchestrate the omni-channel fulfilment of customer orders from across Europe and to drive ongoing business growth. Having already deployed Manhattan’s Warehouse Management Solution (WMS) in all of its distribution centres (DCs) worldwide, the footwear brand will extend its deployment of the Manhattan technology at its expanding European Distribution Centre (EDC) in Liege, Belgium. Skechers has generated phenomenal growth in recent years and in 2014 reported a 40 per cent increase in volumes processed through its EDC. To manage future demand, it is extending its EDC to create a total storage capacity of more than one million sq. ft. (100,000 sq. m.).
Skechers sells its footwear through company-owned Skechers retail stores, online at skechers.com, in department, specialty and other independent retail stores, through wholesalers, and via pure-play online retail sites such as Amazon and Zalando. With orders from all of these channels fulfilled from the EDC in Liege, Skechers requires a fulfilment platform that profitably manages inventory and lifts customer service across its brand portfolio, diverse selling channels and multiple geographical markets. Manhattan’s WMS offers this flexibility and has become the backbone of Skechers’ European supply chain.
Bart Geenen, operations director at Skechers, commented: “Our main challenge is to effectively manage our business growth at the same time as ensuring orders are delivered to customers on a daily basis. In the coming years, we anticipate an expansion of our retail store footprint in Europe. We have 40 retail stores and 50 franchise stores and expect to open another 20 stores next year. The expanded store operation alongside a continuation of the huge growth in orders we’ve seen online will have a significant impact on our EDC operations. We will add another sorter and optimise our other fulfilment processes to make sure that we can handle the expected order volume growth. Over the years Manhattan Associates has proven to be an outstanding partner with the solutions to support our business growth so we are convinced we are well-equipped for the future.”
Pieter Van den Broecke, managing director Central Europe, at Manhattan Associates, commented: “Skechers is one of our long standing customers in the United States and Europe with an impressive track record in terms of growth. Skechers is a great example of an organisation that is continuously optimising its operations worldwide. We are honoured to be part of the global success of this leading brand.”
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