Large-scale independent garden centre implements cloud-based retail management solution

• Becomes Davidson Richards 40th independent garden centre client

• Operational data from across all sites seamlessly fused and accessible from anywhere, at any time, in real-time

• Solution will enable garden centre to put in place valuable customer loyalty scheme across all sites and allow all pricing and promotions to remain consistent

Derby, UK – 25 February, 2013 – Davidson Richards, Microsoft’s leading European RMS development partner, has announced that Scotsdales, one of the UK's largest independent garden centres, has implemented the cloud-based OpSuite retail solution across their two sites. By installing a state-of-the-art, low-cost, cloud-based solution, Scotsdales will be able to seamlessly control and integrate all of its retail operations and pricing and launch on-going promotions including an easy-to-manage loyalty scheme to compete with other suppliers, supermarkets and online websites such as Amazon.

Scotsdales offers traditional garden retail as well as a garden design service, a pet shop and hosts events such as late night shopping with jazz. Its smaller site, Fordham, is expanding and as a busy and growing network, it was decided that margin performance would be best optimised by fusing operational management across both sites and gaining visibility of all operational data in real-time. The new OpSuite solution will enable Scotsdales' management to monitor the company’s increasingly complex operations as a whole from anywhere, at any time and maintain consistency of pricing while implementing retail promotions spanning both sites. In addition, OpSuite is always open and ready to connect to third-party owned business applications. This will allow alternative sales platforms such as the online store to be fused into the solution in the future.

"We needed to update our ageing retail management system and the OpSuite cloud-based solution allowed us to implement a state-of-the-art retail solution without major capital expenditure," commented Ben Rayner, Director, Scotsdales. "By offering greater flexibility for less cost it will allow us to make real savings for the customers who respond to our promotions or join our loyalty scheme."

Keith Bateman, Director, Davidson Richards commented, "Independent garden centres are increasingly competing with online and bricks-and-mortar supermarkets as well as sites such as Amazon for their share of the garden retail market. It is important that they are able to offer highly flexible promotions and still keep tight control of their margins."

"We have a strong history of working with garden centres and have ex-garden centre staff on our team to ensure our garden centre clients receive advice and support from those who understand their real-world situation. Scotsdales are our fortieth garden centre customer," Keith Bateman concluded.

_{About Davidson Richards:
Established in 1977, Davidson Richards has been providing solutions to the retail market for over 35 years. The company is based upon traditional values and supplies retail EPoS solutions based around the Microsoft Retail Management System, of which the company is Europe's leading development partner.}

_{The company identified the opportunity to develop a cloud solution to revolutionise the delivery and cost for retail software in 2008. OpSuite is an open and flexible cloud solution which holds the retailer at the core of its design by reducing costs, enabling easier delivery and system maintenance. This cloud technology enables Davidson Richards to deliver a no compromise “fully fledged” retail management solution at a fraction of the traditional cost of ownership.}

_{For more information, please visit www.davrich.co.uk}

_{Contacts:
Natalie Rimmer
IBA – PR for Davidson Richards
Tel: 01780 721433
Email: nrimmer@iba-international.com}

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