Anchor Blue is using the Oracle Retail Merchandising System to facilitate projected growth to more than 400 stores. At the National Retail Federation (NRF) 95th Annual Convention and Expo in New York this week, Anchor Blue CEO Michael Bush will present the results and experiences of the IT project in which Anchor Blue replaced legacy IT systems with the Oracle Retail Merchandising System. Among the expected results are reduced costs and increased store performance and profitability throughout its retail operations.

Part of a turn-around and growth strategy, the nine-month project finished on budget and on schedule. To simplify and expedite the retail systems overhaul, Anchor Blue avoided customization in favor of a standards-based implementation.

Anchor Blue's need to track 30 million pieces of merchandise annually required more refined retail technology operations. The new system is designed to provide unprecedented visibility into Anchor Blue's supply chain, allowing merchants to better understand which merchandise is moving faster than expected, and where the low stock positions are, so they can be more proactive in filling customer demand. However, it was the projected growth from 170 stores to more than 400 stores over the next five years that made the transition to Oracle Retail Merchandising System a natural fit, especially if stock levels could be reduced, while products could flow faster into the stores.

"We now have the ability to react quickly to consumer demand. That way, we can keep a lot less inventory on hand, but we have more of the right inventory," said Lyle Perrigo, Vice President of Information Technology for Anchor Blue.

"Our new system meets our current business goals while allowing the flexibility to accommodate new demands as our company grows," Anchor Blue CEO, Michael Bush, explained.

About Oracle Retail
Oracle Retail provides retailers with a single source for the best merchandising, supply chain, store systems, optimization and information technology solutions. Oracle Retail solutions provide multi-faceted and cross-channel information at all points of service, enabling retailers to make precise decisions and focus on what matters most -- the customer. For more information, visit www.oracle.com/retail.

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