News

Lids Sports Group opens up inventory across channels

Specialty retailer uses Oracle to help increase available inventory while helping customers and associates easily find items online and at over 1,300 locations nationwide.

April 14, 2015

With more than 1,300 North American stores, specialty retailer Lids Sports Group has a growing customer base that utilizes both its in-store and online shopping experience. With the help of Oracle solutions, Lids is hoping to boost sales and increase consumer loyalty by making its entire inventory of team-specific sports apparel and memorabilia available in-store, online or via a mobile device.

As part of a technology upgrade that includes a migration to Oracle's MICROS Xstore, Lids rolled out Oracle's MICROS Retail Locate enabling the retailer to nearly double the number of product SKUs available for sale online by exposing inventory in all Lids stores as well as throughout its supply chain, according to an announcement from Oracle.

The deployment provides associates and customers with real-time, chainwide inventory information whether products are sitting in a warehouse, an e-commerce distribution center or on a store shelf hundreds of miles away. Employees can then find available items and then ship them to customers' homes or businesses, or to any store in the chain.

In addition to expanding available SKUs, the new solution is intended to replace end-of-day inventory tracking with real-time insight, whether a customer buys an item in the store or online. The solution updates Lids' store, e-commerce, ERP and warehouse management systems, so that inventory levels are never in doubt, according to Oracle.

"Oracle Retail solutions have made a dramatic difference in how we do business, both with regard to our internal systems and in relating to customers," Larry Havlik, vice president, IT and systems, Lids Sports Group, said in a statement. "This is a significant step toward driving growth, by expanding the items we offer and giving customers the full benefit of our locations, in-store service and e-commerce site."

"Lids is vastly expanding what it offers shoppers while also ensuring ease of access and better sell-through," Jill Puleri, senior vice president and general manager, Oracle Retail, said in a statement. "By using Oracle Retail solutions, Lids is taking advantage of integrated channel and inventory management systems, backed by our ongoing investment in product development and world-class support."