Samsonite Unifies its India Operations with Polaris iStore
Polaris Enterprise Solution Limited (PESL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Polaris Software Lab Ltd, has announced that Samsonite, a leading lifestyle luggage brand worldwide, has gone live with PESL's iStore in 80 stores across India.

CHENNAI, INDIA, November 19, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Polaris Enterprise Solution Limited (PESL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Polaris Software Lab Ltd, has announced that Samsonite, a leading lifestyle luggage brand worldwide has gone live with PESL's iStore in 80 stores across India. iStore is built on IBM's Retail Integration Framework (RIF).

Polaris' iStore was chosen by Samsonite because of the broad range of features, scalability and flexibility that only a next generation open environment retail solution can provide. Implemented over a period of six months, the solution has enabled Samsonite to centralize operations, integrate stores resulting in better control and response capabilities to market situations and give a uniform, consistent and enhanced user experience for its customers across all stores.

Prior to this implementation, Samsonite stores were running various applications and packages which did not allow integration for centralization at the head office. The previous solution also made it difficult to implement marketing promotions and gift vouchers.

Polaris iStore's rich modules such as Integrated Advanced Retailing Solutions enhanced the brand's customer retention engine, accelerating its ability to execute loyalty programs, promotions and marketing campaign modules and provide a uniform experience while executing dynamic promotions centrally to all the stores. iStore interfaces helped Samsonite integrate its solution with ERP (Baan), allowing near-real time purchase and inventory data upload, thus avoiding delays and inaccuracies.

Speaking on the occasion, Subratta Datta, MD, Samsonite, South Asia said, "Modern format retail requires scalability, performance and flexibility to address our rapidly growing business operations. We have selected iStore from PESL for its Superior Technology and Contemporary state of the art Architecture. iStore on IBM's Retail Integration Framework (RIF) has advantages of scalability and flexibility that a next generation retail solution and an open operating environment provides. Some of the product platforms that power our business today are WebSphere Server, DB2, and MQ Messaging Middleware. iStore will help us offer enhanced customer delight in our exclusive stores through an unmatched 'Customer Retailing Experience' by enabling us to have a 'Single View of each Customer' across our organization."

Commenting on the deployment, Vikas Misra, Head, PESL said, "We are extremely excited about our implementation at Samsonite. iStore's next generation retail environment has provided Samsonite the most efficient retail services in the country. The solution has equipped their stores with enhanced technology, allowing them to stock the right items in right quantities at the right location and on time. Our solution has also provided the brand a highly customizable promotion engine that offers its customers a unique and uniform experience across its stores. Our successful implementations globally have placed PESL among the leading retail solution providers in the country."

"IBM has been helping companies see higher returns with balanced and controlled inventory, while ensuring that customers get the product they want, when and where they want it. We are very happy to have been associated with Polaris, in turn helping Samsonite achieve transformed operations at the organizational level, leading to significant cost reductions and savings." said Vikrant Chowdhary, Country Manager, Smarter Commerce, IBM SWG ISA. "Samsonite has been able to reduce instances of lost sales by 95 percent by improving inventory management and save 10 percent in costs by streamlining purchasing and inventory planning," he added.

iStore is Java and SOA compliant platform which is built on IBM's Retail Integration Framework (RIF), a groundbreaking middleware that facilitates dynamic data exchange from their distributed retail stores to the enterprise server. IBM's Retail Integration Framework through iStore solution has helped customers accelerate value from their investments in six key business areas:
- Managing master data for merchandizing and supply chain
- Cross Channel selling
- Supply Chain visibility
- Managing master data for customers
- Integrated retail analytics
- Total store solution

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Dwaipayan Deb
Polaris Software Lab Ltd.
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Chennai, Tamil Nadu
India 600006
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