Retail solutions to fit your business

As a retailer, communications are

at the heart of everything you do.

The faster you interact with

customers, suppliers and employees,

the more efficient you become.

As a result, accelerating your

business performance through

the latest IT isn’t an option,

it’s a necessity.

This is where BT makes

the difference.

Harnessing our dedication in driving retailnetworked IT services can help you gain anadvantage and thrive in a changing world. By emphasising speed, accuracy and flexibilitywe help make your business simpler; we help make it better.

We’re able to do this because our offer is unique to the market. We take a complete view of business from head office to customer,tailoring networks, hardware and software tosuit you. And we’re as fluent in the languageof business as we are in the language of IT.

We’re retail experts who take an overallunderstanding of your business and providesolutions that are customised for you. We don’t see ourselves as suppliers, but as people who work with you.

In the competitive marketplace that means wehelp you to cut costs and serve your customersmore effectively. We help you reduce risk andenhance operating margins. We help you improvethe speed at which you access vital data.

In short, we help drive your profitability.

Business made simple.

DSG Retail Ltd

DSG Retail Ltd wanted greater control over ITthroughout its entire retail operation.The aim was to produce a clear and manageablesite inventory that would allow it to reduce costsby 10% and improve the agility of its business.

By consolidating all voice and data contracts there would be clear benefits. DSG would improve speed of communication. It would gain the visibility and cost control it needed. BT’s proposition encompassed the head office WAN and LAN, store networks, all telephony, call management and speech recognition. It gave DSG a clear visibility of communicationsdown to the stores, benefits in cost control andallowed it to accelerate contacts with new and existing stores.

“This will enable DSG to take advantage,at the right time, of the technicalconvergence of voice and data services.We are pleased to extend our strategicsupplier relationship with BT for theprovision of networked IT services to both DSG stores and head office locations and we look forward to theservice enhancements and efficienciesthat we expect this deal to deliver.”

Neale Chinery, CIO, DSG Retail Ltd

WHSmith

WH Smith needed to embark on a strategicbusiness improvement if it was to dramaticallyenhance customer service.

It needed to turn point of sale into “points ofservice”. But this was being undermined by thecompany’s IT infrastructure. On the one hand itneeded an overhaul of its EPoS system that wouldallow it to introduce chip and pin, e-top up ande-gift cards. On the other its IT supplierrelationships were complicated.

With over five to deal with there was a lack ofintegration in the end-to-end service offering.WH Smith turned to BT for hardware, software,network connectivity and overall management of these services in its stores.

We worked with it to ensure that we understoodthe underlying business needs and core businessprocesses and together agreed their acceptableoutcomes. Adopting this process meant WH Smithand BT jointly defined the way the in store ITwould consistently perform.

BT became the single accountable source for theirstore IT. We consolidated its supplier relationshipsand supplemented its skill set. The business andfinancial benefits were significant. Systemreliability has significantly improved and the POS store roll out was cut from four years to just seven months. WH Smith saw increasedproductivity, improved customer service andfaster speed of transactions.

We helped revitalise the in store infrastructureand helped provide a sustainable service andflexible platform for future growth.

“I’ve been told at store level and theboard, too, is aware of this - that this isregarded as the best implementation ofany WH Smith system ever.”

Peter Swann, IT Director, WHSmith

Mothercare

Mothercare needed to embark on a strategicprogramme to increase customer service, drivesales and improve market share. An infrastructureoverhaul was identified as being a crucial part ofthis. With an outdated EPoS system and the needto introduce chip and pin, the first stage was theintroduction of a digital network.

Mothercare opted for a broadband network and central server together with BT’s ConnectedRetailer Store 6 solution.

It gave them more effective informationmanagement, so that stores had online access to product availability in-store.

This multi-channel approach gave customers theability to shop in-store and have goods delivered;a common sense service for expectant mums.

The infrastructure rollout was made evensmoother by BT’s Virtual View and Learn. This meant staff were able to answer queries at the touch of a button rather than referring to a manual.

“BT Expedite solutions not only allow us to enhance customer service but also give us the ability to view trading and sales information in real time, so we can quickly assess the popularity of new products and become a much more agile business.”

Ben Gordon, Chief Executive, Mothercare

Retailing in the fast lane.

Consumers are becoming more

demanding. They want more

choice, better service and

greater availability of products.

If they don’t get them they’ll

shop elsewhere. For the retailer,

the task is to identify customer

needs and accelerate products

and services to meet them.

BT helps you face up to this

changing market.

From networks to multi-channel solutions, from software applications to RFID and managedservice solutions, we’ll take account of theindividual nature of your retail challenges.

Whether you’re looking for a solution or a totaloverhaul of a wider system our impartiality helpsyou achieve the right answers. We’re hardwareindependent, so what you get is our best systemcosted at our best price.

But this is only the beginning.

We’ll be around to manage your systems at every stage. We’ll cope with the complexities of integration, whether it’s discrete solutions or end-to-end management.

And we’ll always be there to ensure it’s runningsmoothly. Accelerating your business performancethis way provides immediate benefits. It allowsyou to manage your stock more efficiently andyour staff more effectively, leaving them free toconcentrate on customer service. This reducescosts and increases revenue.

Some of the world’s leading retailers will testify to the success of this approach. By letting BT bring it all together they’vediscovered for themselves how we can accelerate their performance.

Their success speaks volumes.

Paul Smith

Paul Smith needed to invest in communications to respond to the growingdemands of the business.

The company had head office staff withoutphones, a data network at full capacity and lackof control over telephony costs at store level. The aim was to gain cost control, increaseflexibility, improve agility and provide theplatform for future global expansion. To do this it chose a BT converged voice and datanetwork solution.

The benefits were immediate. Paul Smith gainedcost control by obtaining clear visibility of callsfrom store and head office. It improved staffmobility by providing them with the ability toredirect personal voice calls between head office and store (i.e. hot-desk).

And the company can now access centrally stored data from all head office and store sites, improving all round communication and productivity.

It’s also given Paul Smith a future proof platformthat can grow as the business develops. By beingsimple to extend new stores are up and runningmore quickly.

“With IP telephony, Paul Smith isinvesting in its future which we believeis fundamental to our organisation’s

strategy if we are to continue to deliver a competitive advantage strategy, and to respond quickly and efficiently to ourcustomers’ demands.”

Lee Bingham, Business Analyst, Paul Smith

There are dynamic changes happening in the retail world.

RFID Technology

Inaccurate stock counts mean poor availability,which in turn can drive customers away and salesdown. Today it’s estimated that some retailers are operating at only 90% availability (Source:Gartner). Together with our carefully selectedsolution partners we offer a comprehensive andscalable range of services to solve these immediateand longer-term supply chain challenges.Automating the process by using RFID technologycan improve stock count accuracy and speed upstock checks, delivery, replenishment and overallproduct availability.

At pallet, roll-cage or item level, Radio FrequencyIdentification allows you to quickly and accuratelytrack goods anywhere in your supply chainthrough to the shelf, thus making sure the rightgoods are in the right place at the right time. BT is the market leader in this field. Our experience and expertise has meant thatmajor retailers such as Marks & Spencer havebeen confident in choosing us to implement their systems.

Multi-Channel

However you interact with the customer, BT can manage all the channels. From the web,call centres, in-store or mobile we’ll integratethem so you can take a holistic view of purchasingactivity and offer the same consistent service.

This activity is vital, as consumers are becomingmore demanding. They want to be able topurchase something online and return it to thestore or order it in-store and have it delivered to their home. Driving sales this way is importantin today’s dynamic retail market place. You haveto understand your consumer and recognise thatthey’ll choose different channels at differenttimes and for different products.

BT’s solution allows you to do just that. Our CRM application also lets retailers store and access consumer data across all channels and enrich this data with functional data such as address, size, colour, style and preferences todrive highly tailored promotions. Once analysedthis data is invaluable to identify targets in allchannels for targeted marketing and to drivesuperior merchandising decisions.

Retail Networked IT Services

The connections between retailers, suppliers andhead office and from the distribution centre to thestore are crucial. In today’s business that meansthe ability to carry both voice and data efficiently.

BT is a leader in this convergence technology. And with the cost of broadband shrinking andspeed increasing it’s become a realistic option.The network you choose will depend on the level and type of traffic you want to carry and the resilience and performance your applications require.

With a wide range of networks for all retailersfrom broadband to quality assured MPLS andglobal connections that can handle multimediaand VoIP, the choice is yours.

But you can be confident that we always haveoptions that are cost effective. Whatever you need,we’ll work with you to develop the right strategyfor your business. The result will be a network that helps reduce costs, enhances security andimproves the agility of your company.

Retail Applications

Retail processes ensure that the right productsare in the right place at the right time. With ourcomprehensive portfolio and best-of-breedcomponents that enable selective replacementwe can help retailers improve their overallperformance. From point of sale, planning,sourcing and critical path management throughto warehousing, merchandising, CRM and salesanalytics, our software applications can automateand integrate key retail processes that keep yourbusiness running smoothly. We can also managethe complexity of software interaction with a hostof different point of sale peripherals such asscanners and printers. And we can monitor theperformance of these remotely through thenetwork to guarantee high availability.

Our flexibility is key. We can integrate into existing systems or customise to suit you.And our team of retail experts will configuresolutions to match your business processes.Whatever you choose you’ll be able to respondinstantly to market trends, allowing you to reducecosts, improve productivity and increase revenue.

Managed Services

The right hardware, software and the rightnetwork isn’t the be all and end all of what we do.We make sure they function smoothly as well.Whether it’s individual components or end-to-endmanagement what we do is take away the pain. BT can manage both your new implementationsand your legacy systems. Our expertise andexperience in 3rd party management allows you to consolidate and simplify the management ofyour critical business systems.

By letting BT take full responsibility for theoperation of your systems, the tangle oftechnology and the confusion of multiple suppliersare made less complex. We do this by working withyou to agree your core business processes and thebest way to achieve it. We link this to the rightservice level agreements, tailored for each andevery business, and ensure that you have thepower to retain full control of your IT. This freesyou from the day-to-day stress of systemsmanagement. It lets you focus on your areas of expertise. It accelerates the retail business.

Acceleration. Fast track your business.

BT as a single organisation with an unrivalled ability to take an overview of your entire communications

can help you do just that.

In five key areas we accelerate your ability to respond to the changing retail landscape.

The market is fiercely competitive. Standing still isn’t an option. The only way to survive and prosper is to improve business efficiency and performance.

Retail innovation in practise.

By incorporating RFID tags into clothes it had already ensured that a full range of every size and style was

always available; something that was critical for items with complex sizing structures such as men’s suits.

The next step was to accelerate a “pilot extension” of this RFID trial across over 40 stores with the scale and scope to potentiallyexpand to all its stores.

M&S needed to find an IT solution provider that would work with it closely.

BT took an innovative approach and designed a data management infrastructure that integrated mobile stock readers with theirmerchandise management system. The result was clean and accurate stock-counts andimproved availability for customers.

BT’s investment in this innovative datamanagement platform and the flexiblecommercial wrap has provided Marks andSpencer with the ability to scale this project and obtain a faster return on its investment in RFID technology.

“We chose BT because they shared ourvision of the future of this technology...and had the global presence, scale andauthority necessary to work with us.”

James Stafford, Head of RFID, M&S

This is just one example of our commitment to innovation over the last five years.

The results of this outlay are to be seen atKer’ching, our retail store situated in centralLondon. It can be used by you to see andexperience the way in which BT can dramatically change your business.

Like many retailers Marks & Spencer wanted to improve product availability and increase customer satisfaction.

The next step.

Hiring BT improves the consumer experience, enhances operating margins and reduces costs.

By letting us focus on the services in which we’re experts, you’re free to concentrate on your core business.

If you want to accelerate your business, visit our website www.bt.com/uk/retailYou’ll profit from what we have to offer.

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