Aug. 31, 2009 (PR Newswire) --
AKRON, Ohio, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- SofTechnics, the premier provider of mobile price and inventory management solutions for the retail sector, announced today that Fred's, Inc. (Nasdaq (GS): FRED), one of the nation's leading discount stores, is rolling out Direct Store Delivery receiving. The solution is comprised of the in-store receiving application; a module within SofTechnics' SoftGrocer suite that is tightly integrated with Fred's host and internal accounting systems.
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The Memphis, Tennessee-based discount chain operates over 650 stores in 15 states and will have SoftGrocer fully rolled out to all stores by September, 2009. Fred's is utilizing in-store receiving for improved gross margins, accuracy, and control of their entire line of direct delivery products, which is an ever-expanding assortment of items within their stores.
"Fred's has formed a partnership with SofTechnics and is pleased with the SoftGrocer receiving application," said Jim Deats, Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer, Fred's, Inc. "This system has reduced the time to receive product in the stores, simplified procedures, provided needed control over this process, and improved the timing of detailed inventory balances. Perhaps the most important benefit is the savings we have experienced by ensuring accurate costing of products."
"We conducted store surveys after the implementation of SoftGrocer and received high approval ratings from our Store Managers due to the improved accuracy and increased productivity," states Teresa Gabor, Vice President of Corporate Direct Purchases, Fred's, Inc. "We consider this project a win/win for Fred's and our Direct Vendor Community."
Fred's in-store receiving solution utilizes one component of SofTechnics' industry- leading suite of store level mobile applications to provide electronic invoicing of direct deliveries utilizing EDI standards for Direct Exchange (DEX) and Network Exchange (NEX).
"SoftGrocer provides a single point of control for received items and inventory management," said Jim Sanders, Vice President Systems Development, Fred's, Inc. "It makes receiving, replenishment, and tracking of store inventory efficient and precise. There are tools to help our store associates focus on exceptions and it is configurable to meet our specific needs. We've built tools to give us visibility into vendor violations and invoice discrepancies to assist our merchants in managing the vendor relationships and in maintaining quality delivery standards."
"At SofTechnics, our focus continues to be delivering best-in-class retail solutions that provide immediate and measurable ROI to our customers," said Guy Dille, Global Business Unit Leader, Retail Software & Integration for Mettler-Toledo. "We are pleased that Fred's selected us to provide solutions critical to their business success. The application they have elected to implement will help them streamline the receiving process while improving gross margin and increase the timeliness and accuracy of receiving information."
About SofTechnics:
SofTechnics is the premier provider of mobile price and inventory management solutions for the retail sector. Retailers have come to rely on SofTechnics for our twenty-year track record in achieving retail excellence through innovative grocery and general merchandising solutions. We have the experience and the vision to help you manage your inventory, improve your bottom line, and dramatically increase your productivity - all with a rapid return on investment. SofTechnics, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Mettler-Toledo Corporation with North American headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, and regional offices across the United States.
SOURCE SofTechnics, Inc.
