CenterStone Technologies, Inc., an international developer of Web-based sales order management software for manufacturers of apparel, footwear, equipment and accessories, serving the outdoor recreation, snow sports, sporting goods, surf and action sports industries selling through specialty retailers announced that Walk-EZ has selected the companys iVendix software application for business-to-business (B2B) online ordering for their retail dealers. The system quickly went live for Walk-EZ dealers to use iVendix within this current ski season.
Every aspect of the ski experience has been radically improved in the last few years skis, boots, clothing, slope grooming, but walking in ski boots and handling ski gear, especially for parents, is still in the Stone Age. The Walk-EZ line solves the problem with simple, straightforward design. Walk-EZ dealers will now be able to place their pre-season orders and all their re-orders through this new B2B tool which is accessible 24/7 via the World Wide Web. Dealers will also be able to check on the availability of product as well as track and monitor the status of their orders.
“One of the hallmarks of great customer service is the ability to give the customer, in this case the Walk-EZ specialty retailer, a consistent user experience,” said John Rounds, Vice President of Global Sales for Walk-EZ. “CenterStone has developed a solution with the end-user, the specialty retailer, in mind. It is all about the experience that the dealer has, and in the case of the CenterStone solution, the dealer will have same high quality interaction with Walk-EZ as they do with Obermeyer, Dale of Norway, Helly Hansen, Hot Chillys, Smith Optics, Marmot, The North Face, Garmont and many others. For Walk-EZ, the CenterStone solution has become an industry standard, and has gone from being a nice to have technology to a must have technology to help facilitate the sales process.”
Tom Detmer, CEO of CenterStone Technologies commented, “We are pleased that Walk-EZ recognized the value of our solution in providing an easy to use and intuitive tool for their dealers to transact business. Dealers will be able to spend more time during the day on the shop floor with their customers and still be able to transact business with Walk-EZ after normal, retail business hours. CenterStone has created a trade show environment for specialty retailers where they can go to one place to place and track all their orders and conduct business with dozens of their important vendors. We already have the majority of specialty ski retailers visiting our iVendix site, so this is a logical place for Walk-EZ to be. Its the same reason they attend the SIA trade show, a venue where hundreds of manufacturers can conduct business with thousands of specialty retailers. Like SIA, we are creating an environment where Walk-EZ will be able to grow their business, and do so 24/7/365. Dealers and sales reps have been very quick to embrace the CenterStone solution, and we expect that Walk-EZs decision to implement the CenterStone solution will contribute to the success of their business.”
Rounds continued, “It is all about doing what is best for the Walk-EZ customer, our dealers. It is reassuring to Walk-EZ that there is an enormous community of more than a thousand specialty ski retailers already in place who have learned how to use the CenterStone application and receive the same consistent level of service whether they are placing a pre-season order, an ASAP order in season, checking inventory as well as future availability or tracking order status. As a result of our partnership with CenterStone, Walk-EZ will now be open for business 24/7 for our dealers, and our dealers will be taken care of in a timely and professional manner.”
“A recent survey of 3,200 specialty retailers found that 54% of dealers spend more with vendors who have a CenterStone-like solution, and on average they spend 13% more with these CenterStone-enabled vendors. It seems that dealers are voting with their wallets, and they spend more with vendors that are easier to do business with. Dealers have also clearly expressed to us that they want to be able to conduct business at their convenience, and John Rounds and his team at Walk-EZ are listening to what dealers are saying,” Detmer added.
Brands currently making the CenterStone Technologies solution available to their retail customers and sales reps include: The North Face, part of VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC); Pearl Izumi, a division of Nautilus, Inc. (NYSE: NLS); Marmot Mountain, Ex Officio and Marker Apparel, part of K2 Corporation (NYSE: KTO); Helly Hansen; Perry Ellis Intl. (NASDAQ: PERY); Geneva Watch Group; Cleveland Golf, part of Quiksilver (NYSE: ZQK); RipCurl; Billabong; Sport Obermeyer; Smith Optics; Garmont; KHS Bicycles; Dale of Norway, Malone Auto Racks, ONeill Clothing, Hot Chillys and others.
