Orvis Selects CenterStone’s iVendix
New online B2B ordering capability continues strong tradition of customer service and dealer support before, during and after store hours; web-based service adds green benefit with reduction in catalogs
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CenterStone Technologies, Inc., an international developer of Web-based sales order management software for manufacturers of outdoor and hunting gear, apparel, footwear and accessories, today announced that The Orvis Company of Manchester, Vt. has selected the company’s iVendix software application. iVendix will provide Orvis with a business-to-business (B2B) online ordering solution for their retail dealers and sales reps. When Orvis goes “live†on the application, dealers and sales reps will be able to view automated catalogs, check on the availability of product, place orders, and track and monitor the status of those orders using iVendix since it is accessible 24/7 via the Web.
“Since its founding in 1856, The Orvis Company has been committed to providing world-class customer service. That commitment extends not only to its traditional consumer base, but to their worldwide network of dealers as well. To continue building on the Orvis tradition of superior customer service in today’s business environment, the company needs a reliable B2B ordering tool,†said Jim LePage, vice president of Rod and Tackle for Orvis.
“In our mind, a proven solution is one that retailers will quickly adopt, and in outdoor recreation and sporting goods CenterStone has rapidly become the industry standard. With many thousands of specialty retailers already using their Web-based application, we are confident that Orvis dealers will also be quick to embrace CenterStone’s iVendix solution. Because this new solution is internet-enabled, and available 24/7, our dealers will be able to spend more time during the day on their shop floors with their customers and still be able to conduct business with Orvis after normal, retail business hours. Having the best products has always been an important tradition at Orvis, but being easy to do business with, will also help Orvis continue to set its brand apart, and it will contribute to the ongoing success of our specialty dealers. With this new sales order management solution, Orvis expects to take a leadership role by setting a new standard for customer service in the fishing industry. We are hoping that our new B2B solution will also limit the exchange of paper documents with our dealers and sales reps. An on-line B2B solution will allow Orvis to conduct business in a paperless manner by reducing the need for faxes, worksheets and catalogs, and it reinforces Orvis’ commitment to environmental sustainability,†said LePage.
“We are truly excited and pleased that such a storied brand in the fly fishing industry has selected CenterStone for their B2B solution. Clearly, Jim LePage and the whole senior management team at Orvis understand the importance of this initiative, which will help Orvis maintain their leadership position in the fishing and outdoor recreation space. The Orvis Company has a long-standing tradition of providing superior customer service to their specialty retail community, and Orvis has a well-deserved reputation for the unrivalled quality of their rod and tackle products. They have built the brand upon this foundation. B2B software is NOT what has made the Orvis brand a great one; software development is not their core competency. That’s CenterStone’s core competency,†said Peter O’Neil, executive vice president of Sales and Marketing for CenterStone Technologies.
“We interact with hundreds of specialty retailers every day, and they are very vocal about wanting to conduct business at their convenience on a 24/7 basis using the CenterStone B2B solution. And according to these dealers, they spend more of their open-to-buy dollars with vendors who have online ordering systems like CenterStone’s. We are confident that Orvis’ decision to partner with CenterStone will help drive continued growth of the Orvis brand in specialty retail,†O’Neil said.
Brands that currently use CenterStone’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model and make the company’s other solutions available to retail customers and sales reps include: The North Face, JanSport, Vans, Reef and VF Imagewear, part of VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC); Pearl Izumi, a division of Nautilus, Inc. (NYSE: NLS); Marmot Mountain, Ex Officio, Marker Apparel, Adio Footwear and Planet Earth, brands of Jarden Corporation (NYSE: JAH); Under Armour (NYSE: UA); Helly Hansen; Perry Ellis Intl. (NASDAQ: PERY); Geneva Watch Group; Cleveland Golf, and Fidra Golf, part of Quiksilver, (NYSE: ZQK); SmartWool, a division of Timberland (NYSE: TBL); RipCurl; Billabong; Sport Obermeyer; Smith Optics; KHS Bicycles; Dale of Norway; O’Neill Clothing; Hot Chillys; Petzl; Sole Technology; Icebreaker; Four Star Distribution; Buck Knives; Fresh Produce Sportswear; Yakima Products; Patagonia Europe and others.
About Orvis
Founded in 1856, Orvis pioneered the mail order industry in the United States, operates a chain of retail stores in the U.S. and England including its Flagship store in Manchester, VT; and maintains a network of over 400 dealers worldwide. Orvis donates five percent of pre-tax profits each year to environmental programs. You can read more about Orvis on their website at www.orvis.com or by contacting James Hathaway at
802.362.8525/hathawayj@orvis.com
About CenterStone Technologies, Inc.
CenterStone Technologies, Inc. operates a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform and provides Web-based sales order management applications in six languages and local currencies in North America and Europe with widespread adoption by specialty retailers and sales reps on those continents. As a result, CenterStone’s international e-commerce solutions are on track to process more than $1.2 billion dollars in wholesale transactions in 2007. iVendix and Escape applications open a new marketplace for vendors by enabling retail dealers and sales reps to view online catalogs and inventory availability, create sales proposals and to place preseason orders, reorders, and retail employee orders more effectively and efficiently with their vendors. CenterStone Technologies makes vendors more competitive by providing increased inventory turns at retail, reduced customer service costs, and greater speed to market, thus improving relationships with their customers — retail dealers. Additional information about CenterStone Technologies, Inc., based in Denver, Colo., with offices in San Diego, Calif., and Paris, France, can be found on the company’s Web site at www.centerstonetech.com or by contacting Pat Smith, OnTarget Public Relations at 303.333.1516/pat@ontargetpr.net.
Editor’s Note: Product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
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