Retailers optimistic as sales up for third consecutive month!

The Distributive Trades Survey of 20,000 company outlets carried out by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) reveals that 60 per cent of retailers saw the volume of sales rise during September.

The CBI’s distributive trades survey for September showed unexpected strength as the balance of retailers reporting sales up year on year climbed to a six-year high at plus 49%, compared with plus 39% in August.

The increase is also reflected in the volume of orders placed upon suppliers (39%), surpassing last month’s balance of 29%.

Ian Mc Cafferty, CBI chief economic advisor, says: “The bank holiday weekend, combined with the tail-end of summer sales have resulted in a bumper period for retailers.”

It was the third consecutive increase and followed a decent month for clothing and footwear sales in particular, the business lobby group said.

Retailers also expect sales to be strong next month, but economists warned consumers are likely to find life much harder going as the public spending squeeze and rising food prices weigh on sentiment.

They also noted that the official measure of retail sales showed a much weaker picture during August.

The clothing and footwear & leather sub-sectors saw particularly strong sales growth, which are likely to have been boosted by the arrival of new autumn ranges. Solid sales growth was also recorded in the furniture & carpets sector.

Looking to October, a balance of +47% of firms expect a higher volume of sales than a year ago.

Business Challenges which retailers may face include:

•Ensuring visibility and proper tracking of inventory for multi-variant items.
•Creating item codes for multi variant items.
•Efficiently completing inventory reporting and sales analysis by size and colour

Intelligent Information Systems has developed Intelligent Colour Size Matrix which enables you to create and maintain parent and child items via matrix templates within SAP Business One.

Benefits of Intelligent Colour Size Matrix

•Save time creating item codes by creating child items within user defined templates.
•Quickly set up a product range for a new multi-attribute.
•Beat the competition and capture the market with proper inventory tracking.
•Quickly fulfill orders for multi attribute items.
•Improves inventory reporting and sales analysis by allowing any business in need of tracking by the sizes and colours of their merchandise to do so efficiently.

To find out more visit beabetterbusiness.co.uk/IntelligentColourSizeMatrix or check out our Intelligent Colour Size Matrix Demo Video on Intelligent B1.

Sources: Smallbusiness.co.uk; finfacts.ie; nebusiness.co.uk

Intelligent Colour Size Matrix

Create and maintain parent and child items within SAP Business One

Intelligent Colour/Size Matrix enables you to create and maintain parent and child items via matrix templates within SAP Business One. The matrix templates define the item code and description to be assigned to each child item created. The module also allows you to optionally copy parent item price list prices to their child items.

Functionalities

•Creates item codes within a user defined matrix template based on two item variables.
•Assign templates to parent items enabling user to create child items for the parent.
•Defines parent and child items in Item Master Data UDF – Colour Size Matrix.
•Assign multiple templates to one parent item.
•Apply parent pricing tab allows the user to copy selected price list prices from a parent item to all of its child items at any point in time.

Business Challenges

•Ensuring visibility and proper tracking of inventory for multi-variant items.
•Creating item codes for multi variant items.
•Efficiently completing inventory reporting and sales analysis by size and colour.

Key Features

•Customisable user defined colour/size matrix templates to meet your inventory needs.
•Multiple colour/size matrix templates can be assigned to one parent item to create multi-variant child items.
•Apply parent pricing to child items when applicable.
•Leverage standard order processing capabilities of SAP Business One such as special pricing, warehouse, availability check, etc in combination with colour/size matrix as items are processed through ordinary SAP Business One processing cycle.

Business Benefits

•Save time creating item codes by creating child items within user defined templates.
•Quickly set up a product range for a new multi-attribute.
•Beat the competition and capture the market with proper inventory tracking.
•Quickly fulfill orders for multi attribute items.
•Improves inventory reporting and sales analysis by allowing any business in need of tracking by the sizes and colours of their merchandise to do so efficiently.

To find out more about other Intelligent Essentials elements visit www.beabetterbusiness.co.uk or www.beabetterbusiness.ie

Intelligent Essentials, Making B1 Better!

Improve your SAP Business One Solution with New Intelligent Essentials Elements

Intelligent Essentials is a range of enhancements from IIS that improves SAP Business One in key areas. Essentials provide one add-on that allows you to select the functionality that you require in your SAP Business One implementation.

Two new innovative Essentials Elements, Intelligent Email and Intelligent Colour Size Matrix are now available from IIS further building upon our dedication to making your SAP B1 Better.

Intelligent Email provides email automation functionality for SAP Business One. Automatic and Batch emailing of statements and marketing documents has never been so simple.

It allows you to drive down the cost of sending out statements, accelerating the process and moreover improving customer service by permitting you to send out batch advance delivery notification and numerous other documents.

To get a copy of the Intelligent Email Brochure contact michelle.hunt@iisystems.net or copy the link provided!

http://www.beabetterbusiness.ie/Essentials/e4.pdf

Intelligent Colour Size Matrix enables users to create child and parent product codes. Within CSM you can create a master product which will then create a matrix of child products related to it. This solution is perfect for companies in the clothing or footwear sectors and any business where products come in variable shapes and sizes. The Intelligent Colour Size Matrix Brochure will soon be made available but in the meantime any one interested in gaining more information should contact us!

sales@iisystems.net